A Different Kind of Vacation
by SomeknowmeasXeno
Summary: A world under constant threat from terrible monsters and living in the shadows of past wars, with its people clinging desperately to a fragile peace doesn't sound like your average kind of vacation spot but it's also filled with a cast of colorful folks privy to insane adventures and ludicrous feats: so why not check it out? Plus there's apparently good food...
1. Prologue

Crimson leaves drifted in the gentle breeze, the sun shining down upon the red forest of Forever Fall as it hung in the clear skies above. A flock of birds took to the skies as a lone figure emerged into a clearing, stepping on a twig and snapping it in half as they stepped out into the sun's light.

"And... I'm in the middle of nowhere..." The strange, little creature which had stumbled into the clearing spoke to itself. Its voice sounded relatively young and lacked any kind of discernible accent. The creature, standing at only 3 foot 3 drifted its gaze from left to right. Only its right eye was visible and open, its left closed with a black bandanna over it and wrapping around its head, going behind its right ear. Its large right eye was a dull yellow, its pupil bright red. Its muzzle was covered in unkempt white fur like that of a fox, a small black nose just under its eyes. Its skin looked almost reptilian and was a bright shade of orange. Its head was domed and ended in a sharp tip at the back with three rows of fin-like spikes running along the top of its head with shaggy white fur running inbetween the rows and covering its fox-like ears above, and a little behind, its eyes. A trio of tails flowed behind the short orange beast, each one ending in a bone-white, glaive-esque tip with fin-like spikes surrounded by white fur running along the top-side of each one. On the outer sides of its lower legs, as well as the outer side of its left arm were large patchs of unkempt white fur. On each hand were four fingers and a thumb, though the creature's right arm was drastically different from its left, and as an extension the rest of its body. Its right arm had a demonic look to it, most of it covered in a crimson chitin-like armor and the exposed flesh, such as the underside of the forearm and palm of the hand, as well as the flame-like pattern that run up to its elbow, was glowing a spectral yellow. The rest of its body features could not be accurately made out as it was actually wearing clothes: a clear sign of sentiance and civility. On its feet were a pair of brown sneakers with grey knee-length shorts, kept in place by a black belt with a gold buckle, up above. Strapped to the left leg of the shorts was a red pouch, the straps a healthy shade of yellow. On its left hand was a fingerless brown leather glove. The creature also wore a black tank-top style shirt, but with a zipper, and over that a short blue jacket. The jacket had short sleeves that got only to just above the elbows with a yellow fire symbol on the back and an upturned collar, along with two little straps on the shoulders and a brown shoulder holster attached to the jacket. Sheathed at the creature's side was a katana: its tsuba and hilt end golden, its hilt wrapped in white leather. The weapon's saya black with platinum decals and a platinum kojiri. "Great..." The little creature sighed. "Damn it, Ravage. Should'a got myself a map..." He rubbed his right eye and shuck his head. Ravage went a second without speaking. "Somehow..." He looked up. A collection of blood red eyes were staring at him from the the bushes amongst the tree-line, each pair glowing intensely: studying the strange little thing before them. Ravage's ears twitched a little as he heard a rustling in the bushes and he then proceeded to sniff the air. "Hmm..." He turned around, having caught the scent in the air.

"Grr..." A growling reached Ravage's fox-like ears.

"Come on..." Ravage smirked, beckoning forth whatever was to emerge from the darkness of the bushes with his right hand. A pack of beowolves rushed forth to meet the confident little kitsune, each beast bearing their razor sharp teeth as the cool wind blew through their shaggy jet black fur. Ravage pushed his sword an inch out of its scabbard with his left thumb as one beowolf sprinted past him and then immediately turned around, leaping into the air with its mouth wide open. Ravage took hold of his katana's hilt with his right hand, gripping it tightly before he drew the blade fully from its sheath and dashed forward before the beowolf could hit him, dashing past a lot more beowolves in the blink of an eye and skidding to a halt behind them, now turned to face them. The beowolf that had pounced at him fell apart into three separate pieces as Ravage sheathed his katana: the moment the blade clicked into place the closest five beowolves to him also fell apart. Nine Grimm left. Ravage chuckled. He dashed forward once more, cutting down the first beast on his right with his initial strike; spinning forward afterwards and cutting straight through the next beowolf with a single attack, reappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving behind an afterimage, before two more beowolves and rapidly slicing them to pieces with a lightning fast flurry of attacks, he then threw his katana's scabbard through the air behind him, the thing smashing straight through one beowolf's skull and then into another, impaling them both as Ravage dashed after it and cut down another beast in his way before he threw his sword and made it spin through the air like a helicopter blade around him, cutting up the remaining beowolves in the process as Ravage turned to catch the blade upon its return. Catching it effortlessly in his left hand, Ravage gripped the hilt as he held the blade in reverse and then shoved it back into its scabbard as the thing was suspended in mid-air with enough force to cause the two beowolves impaled on it to explode with a burst of energy that emanated from their bodies. "Huh..." Ravage smirked as he held the sheathed blade at his side. "As standard as ever." Ravage sniffed the air again. "Hmm..." He walked over to one of the nearby trees and with the glaive-like tip of his left-hand tail sliced through its trunk: its sap leaking out. Ravage scooped some of the sap off of the tree with his right hand and licked it all up. "Not bad." He shrugged, flicking the remainder off of his hand.

"Grrraahhh!" Ravage ducked as an alpha beowolf swung for him from behind, the claws of its right hand getting stuck in the tree Ravage had sliced into as the kitsune walked off. Ravage holstered his sheathed katana on his back, held in place by the magnet in his brown shoulder holster. The alpha beowolf freed itself, turning to face Ravage as he came to a stop and turned back around. His right eye's pupil glowed for a split-second, his grin revealing a fang. Ravage cracked his knuckles before smashing his fists together as an aura of flames engulfed him and yellow bio-electricity zapped around his forearms and then his entire body. The ground cracked up around the 3 foot 3 demon as his power rose. "I'll just destroy you as well then." He disappeared from the alpha's sight. It tilted its head in confusion. Ravage reappeared directly in front of the Grimm and delivered a one-inch punch to its gut: winding it and making it stumble back. "Seems you sacrificed speed for power." Ravage chuckled. He hit the Grimm with a rising uppercut, his right arm engulfed in flames. "Ravryuken!" A bolt of lightning struck the alpha in mid-air before Ravage roundhouse kicked it straight back down: making it bounce off of the ground after impact, the alpha beowolf flipping through the air. Ravage was already there to greet it and delivered a left hook to its face as it flipped through the air above the ground, followed by a right hook and then a rapid flurry of kicks with his left leg that battered the Grimm as it hung in the air. Ravage pulled his left leg back before spinning around and unleashing a single mighty kick with his right leg that sent the alpha beowolf crashing through tree after tree. Ravage cracked his neck from side to side as the Grimm tumbled along the ground after crashing through one last tree, the beast stumbling back up a few seconds after. It roared out in fury before rushing straight for the kitsune in a blind rage. Ravage ran his left hand through the spiky white fur on the top of his head. The alpha lunged at him. Ravage sidestepped and let it roll and tumble past him. It jumped back up and took a swipe at him, Ravage jumped over its attack and kicked it in the face before backflipping away. The alpha roared again. Another swipe, Ravage parried it with his right tail: knocking the Grimm's left hand back. "Stop trying to hit me and hit me." Ravage taunted it.

"Grrraaaahhh!" The alpha unleashed a furious flurry of swipes, Ravage dodging and ducking each one.

"You're wide open." He then simply kicked the Grimm in the crotch.

"Gryaaa..." The Grimm whimpered. Ravage put his right hand to its forehead and smirked. The alpha's eyes widened. Ravage flicked it on the forehead: sending the alpha beowolf flying to its doom. "Gaaa..." The alpha was impaled on a tree branch, the branch going straight through its chest. With one last feeble growl its head dropped down, arms went limp and its legs were left dangling there.

"That wasn't even close to fair, I'll dial it further down a little." Ravage sighed. "Ah well, only mooks." He looked up to the sky. Launching himself into the air with a single jump, Ravage could see the rest of Forever Fall laid out before him. He summoned a crimson demonic rune beneath his feet, using it like a platform to remain in mid-air. "Ah crap... I did not get a good starting spot..." His ears and tails drooped down before lifting back up a second later. He had just noticed something way off in the distance. "Wait, train tracks... well, that solves it. I'll just hitch a ride on the next train." His smirk disappeared as his rune faded away and he fell to the ground, landing face-first with a thud. "This place better have good food..." Ravage's voice was muffled but his irritation was clear as the rest of his body hit the ground, slamming down as his face remained planted in the grass and leaves.

* * *

"Hmm... this place looks alright actually. Might have a better vacation than I initially thought." Ravage stood atop one of the many carriages of the train he had boarded in Forever Fall, the wind blowing hard against him as it entered Vale: heading straight for a train station only a few miles away. His stomach growled. "Ahh, I can almost taste the wide range of fine cuisine no doubt here... they could have such a variety of dishes. Who knows what I might find?" He unfolded his arms. "I want some noodles." He looked aside, muttering to himself.


	2. Day 1: A Fateful Meeting

Ravage sat at the street-side noodle bar A Simple Wok, chowing down on a bowl of noodles. His katana was in its scabbard and at his left side, at his waist, his three tails drooping down over the side of the stool he sat upon. As he continued to devour the contents of the bowl, his razor-sharp teeth making short work of the noodles as he chewed and slurped, life in Vale went on. Cars continued to drive by regularly and the odd citizen walked on by: though each one glanced at the strange creature sat at the noodle bar as they passed. Ravage was actually on his 3rd bowl by now, having paid without failure for each one: where he got the money from was a mystery, as he was obviously not native to Remnant. Burping into his left hand, glancing aside, Ravage put his fork into the now empty 3rd bowl and pushed it forward with his right hand. He then turned and nodded to the old man who had served him, the 'shopkeep'.

"Wonderful. Have a nice day." Ravage jumped off of the stool he had sat upon and began walking off down the street: patting his belly with his left hand as he strolled along. "Now, what can I do to entertain myself around here?" Ravage wondered aloud. "Hmm..." He rubbed his chin as he came to a stop. "Maybe check out the local arcade?" The little kitsune pondered. "See a movie, maybe? Hmm... Eh, I'll just see where things go for now. Make plans later." He shrugged. Ravage continued on down the street, resting his left hand on the hilt of his sheathed katana as he walked along: taking the next left and continuing on down that street. He hummed to himself as he strolled along, his three long tails flowing behind him as he walked. At that moment he passed on by four girls, one with black hair with red highlights; one with snow white hair, the 3rd with jet black hair and the 4th with blonde. Ravage paid them no heed, actually he hadn't noticed them as he was humming to himself and lost in idle thought, but each of the girls turned their heads and watched the short, skinny strange creature with three tails and a domed head pass on by before looking amongst each other and giving bewilderd looks. Ravage continued on down the street, coming to a stop at a zebra crossing as the traffic drove on by. Ravage pressed the signal button with his right-hand tail and waited for the traffic to come to a stop, the kitsune still humming to himself. As he stood waiting Ravage's ears twitched. He looked over his right shoulder and saw those four girls standing behind him: each one staring at him. "Busy traffic today, huh?" Ravage non-chalantly noted the busy roads. The girl with black hair and red highlights let out a squee.

"It's adorable, I want one." Ruby was met with blank stares from Weiss, Blake and Yang and a confused look from Ravage, who had raised his right brow. Not the response Ravage was expecting. But not exactly one he was unfamiliar with despite his spikes, shaggy fur and overall strange appearance. He often wondered if it was his big eyes, well eye now, and short stature... or maybe some people were just weird. Both were viable answers really. Ruby rushed to Ravage's side, the kitsune looking up at her and back to the others repeatedly. "I'll pet you and feed you cookies. Aww, you have a katana as well to go with your little stylish outfit: how cute." Ruby smiled intently.

"Is she serious?" Ravage looked to Weiss, Blake and Yang. They slowly nodded. Ravage looked back up to Ruby. "What kind of cookies?" Ravage inquired, putting his hands on his hips.

"Chocolate chip." Ruby continued smiling.

"That is a good offer..." Ravage muttered, looking aside. "But I'm not one for petting." Ravage looked back to Ruby.

"Ruby you can't just go up to... strangers and ask to pet and feed them." Yang shuck her head in disbelief.

"But look at him. He's so small and has cute ears, and multiple tails." Ruby turned to Yang.

"We don't even know what... who he is." Yang retorted.

"I can answer that." Ravage raised his left hand. Everyone looked to him. "I'm a kitsune, my name is Ravage." Ruby squeeled again.

"His name is over-the-top." Ruby smiled.

"Actually it's quite fitting but I digress..." Ravage shrugged, muttering to himself.

"Wait..." Ruby stopped. "What's a kitsune?" She asked. Yang, Weiss and Blake looked amongst themselves and shrugged.

"Think of me as a sort of fox." Ravage answered.

"But, you don't have that much fur... and you have multiple tails and a strange head. And you're bipedel." Blake spoke up.

"I don't recall cats often walking on two feet either, but hey: here we are." Ravage replied. Blake's eyes widened.

"How'd you..."

"Scent." Ravage answered, cutting her off. He tapped his little black nose. "The nose knows. You don't completely smell alike, you and your friends. Subtle differences." He added.

"I do use the finest products." Weiss put her hands on her hips and smiled. Blake, Yang and Ruby gave her a quick stare.

"I just kinda slap whatever on." Ravage shrugged again, breaking the silence.

"So... what are you doing in Vale?" Yang looked over to Ravage.

"I'm on vacation." Ravage responded. "Just kinda chose a random place to visit, ended up here. Had to catch a train though. Found myself in some weird red forest."

"You were in Forever Fall?" Weiss inquired. Ravage nodded.

"Run into any Grimm?" Yang asked. Ravage nodded again.

"They're all dead now. Kind of a disappointment really: I guess I should've held back more, it was over before I could get a kick out of it." Ravage informed.

"I bet that katana made short work of them. What can it do?" Ruby looked down to Ravage.

"It cuts things of course." Ravage chuckled.

"Does it turn into anything?" Ruby continued to question Ravage.

"No it's just a trusty katana. Really sharp blade." Ravage pulled the sheathed sword from his side, slightly pulling the blade out of its scabbard. "It was a gift from my mom, a long time ago. Very nice weapon. Mom's sword is way cooler though: it can cut practically anything." Ravage followed up.

"You must be pretty good with it by now." Blake commented.

"Yes." Ravage replied. "I may have an array of tricks and skills up my sleeve but I can always fall back on my sword." He looked the blade over before sheathing it. "I like to specialise in quick-draw with it." Ravage explained. "Most are dead before I even resheath the sword, of course they usually don't know it until I do." He smirked.

"Right... it's a... unique style." Blake nodded.

"Hey, what's with your right arm?" Weiss questioned.

"Huh?" Ravage lifted up his right arm, the demonic forearm of his now in clear view: red chitin-like armor and glowing yellow flesh revealed for all to see. Team RWBY gave it a curious study. "Oh it's just my right arm..." Ravage non-chalantly spoke up. "Been like this forever. I can do a lot of cool stuff with it and it's my most durable body part as I am now. Think of it like a taster for one of my hidden tricks."

"It looks cool." Ruby complemented the demonic arm.

"Thanks. I do like to think it gives me a certain flare." Ravage replied. "Well, I better get going. I wanna see what this place has going on." He turned to leave. Ruby took a step forward.

"We can help guide you around." The young huntress spoke up. "I know this place like the back of my hand." Ruby put her hands on her hips and smiled gleefully.

"Uhh..." Weiss looked to Blake and Yang.

"He is kind of an interesting fellow." Yang replied.

"A very strange one." Blake added.

"Don't worry I'm used to that." Ravage called out. He turned back to Ruby. "Sure why not, you have that main character vibe going on: I might see some interesting stuff."

"Yay! It's usually explosions by the way." Ruby smiled and nodded. Ravage smiled back.

"Wonderful."


	3. Day 1: Bonding

"So, where'd you come from, Ravage?" Yang inquired as they walked along, Ravage walking beside the 4 huntresses: to their left.

"My house." Ravage answered.

"Right... and that is?" Yang raised a brow at the little kitsune's response.

"It's complicated." Ravage shrugged. "Not all that interesting. Just trust me when I say very, very far away." He followed up.

"Like continental far?" Ruby looked over to Ravage. He chuckled.

"It's complicated." Ravage repeated himself. "I'm not exactly local in any sense of the term." He vaguely explained.

"Ooh, mysterious." Ruby grinned.

"Hmm, maybe so." Ravage smiled and nodded. "So, what do you all do for fun around here?"

"Depends on your definition of fun." Weiss responded.

"I have a very broad definition." Ravage replied.

"Well, usually we're locked in deadly combat with Grimm and criminals alike. Hi-ya, hi-yah." Ruby imitated kung fu moves as she walked along.

"That's always a good time." Yang followed up.

"The experience varies." Weiss muttered.

"Actually we recently foiled the dasterdly schemes of Dr Merlot and his Merlot industries corporation, that was totally awesome." Ruby informed.

"Sounds like a fun time." Ravage admitted.

"The experience varied." Blake paraphrased Weiss' previous line.

"On our downtime we just kinda hang out around Vale." Yang added. "We've also got a fighting tournament coming up soon and we've been training for that as well."

"Sweet, what's your power levels at?" Ravage asked.

"Power levels?" Weiss scratched her head.

"Yeah, power levels. I can't exactly get a good read on any of you yet so I just wonder if you've been keeping track." Ravage continued.

"I'm fairly certain I have the highest." Yang smugly grinned.

"I should've brought one of those scouters actually." Ravage muttered.

"There's a fine line between confidence and cockiness, Yang." Weiss warned.

"You'd know would you?" Blake quipped.

"Hey!" Weiss snapped. Ravage shivered.

"Urgh, what a chill." He mumbled.

"You get that as well, huh?" Ruby inquired. Weiss narrowed her eyes and glared at Ruby. She shivered like Ravage.

"So what's the specifics of this tournament?" Ravage inquired.

"Well, the combat tournament is a part of the Vytal Festival in which students from the numerous Huntsmen academies compete. Symbolically, the tournament battles represent a reminder to always strive for excellence and never mediocrity. Only huntsmen and huntresses partake, it's a tournament of elite warriors." Weiss briefly explained it.

"Damn." Ravage clicked his fingers out of irritation. "And I was hoping to get as many fights in as possible with as many strong opponents as I can find on this planet whilst I'm here." He sighed.

"I guess you really love to fight." Blake spoke up.

"Call it a family trait. I guess you could say battle blood flows through my veins, I hunger for good fights as much as I do good food. Eat, fight and sleep is how I live these days... and what a life it is. I honestly don't need to do anything else anymore." Ravage replied.

"I like this guy." Yang looked to the others.

"So is your mom a fighter as well?" Ruby asked.

"Is she? Hahah, like you wouldn't believe it. She doesn't fight often these days but when she does, well... it's like a form of art really." Ravage developed a huge smile on his face. "I may be stronger than my mom but my skills are definitely below hers. I'm more of an instinct fighter, and often a show-off I do admit." He added. "I respect my mom more than anything else, as both a person and a warrior."

"I'm glad to hear that." Ruby smiled. "It's nice that you and your mom have such a close relationship."

"Well, she's the only family I have left... and I went through heaven and hell to keep her well." Ravage informed, pointing to his left eye and the black bandanna over it. "This is a reminder of the times that I was willing to sacrifice everything for my mother's safety."

"I was wondering about that." Weiss commented.

"Ironically enough my eye is fine now. I just keep it like this to throw my opponents off, make 'em think I have a disability... that and I think it makes me look cooler." Ravage admitted. Ruby nodded. "It's more so the bandanna itself that's the reminder of those days now. But that's a story for another time. I wanna hear more about you guys." Ravage chuckled to himself. "I honestly don't find myself all that interesting to talk about, I like learning about others. Maybe this way, one day, I'll learn more about myself. Who knows? But enough about me."

"Well, we do have some stories." Yang smirked.

"We can discuss them over a meal, nothing like a good meal for reminiscing." Ruby suggested. The others nodded.

"I am pretty hungry, tell ya what: in return for these stories you have, I'll pay. Trust me, I can afford it." Ravage responded.

"That's nice of you." Blake nodded.

"Well, sometimes you give a litle to get a little." Ravage replied.

"Alright, come on, I know a good place." Yang interjected.

"That does sound nice, lead the way." Weiss responded, nodding to Yang. Yang chuckled and gave a thumbs up.


	4. Day - Night 1: Looking for a Fight

"And that's everything." Ravage placed the last note down on the counter, having paid for both team RWBY's individual meals and his own.

"T-thank you, sir..." The woman behind the counter took the payment, placing it into the till as she studied the strange creature before her. "H-have a nice day."

"Thanks. Oh and tell the chef the food was lovely." Ravage smiled before getting off of the stool he had sat upon to reach level with the counter and turning to leave.

"Please, c-come again." The woman gave one last bewildered look over the three-tailed kitsune as he walked towards Ruby; Weiss, Blake and Yang.

"Lovely service here." Ravage commented as he and RWBY left the building.

"I know right." Yang replied.

"I guess I do kinda freak some people out easily though. Ah well, nothing new." Ravage chuckled, noting the curiosity he had received from staff and customers alike whilst there. "Those were some interesting stories back there. I always appreciate interesting stories." He followed up.

"Glad you liked 'em. Should'a really been there though." Ruby responded.

"Well, another time, another place maybe." Ravage nodded.

"You must have a few stories yourself." Weiss interjected.

"Of course." Ravage looked to Weiss. "More than you can imagine."

"I'd like to know the story behind your covered up left eye one day." Ruby admitted, smiling at the little kitsune.

"I'd be happy to share, but I'd have to censor a lot of it in the retelling. Not exactly pleasant..." Ravage answered her. "For both parties."

"Hey I don't blame ya." Yang shrugged. "Somebody mess with me like that I'd make 'em pay." Ravage nodded.

"Yes. Eye for an eye, leg for a leg, arm for an arm: yadda, yadda." He replied. "Though I took much more, trust me. Hence why I won't go into every detail if I ever do get round to telling ya. I've got plenty of more light-hearted and interesting stories anyway."

"So where are you going to be staying in Vale, whilst you're here?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.

"Oh I'll probably get a hotel room or something." Ravage responded. "Though I have considered camping." He admitted.

"Camping?" Blake questioned. "You sure about that one?" Ravage chuckled in response.

"The danger excites me." He replied to her. "This... Mountain Glenn you've mentioned, I'd love to spend some time there. If it's crawling with Grimm of varying strengths then I could have some fun, with the proper limitations of course." He explained.

"You're serious?" Blake almost doubted him. "You must really enjoy fighting as much as you say you do."

"More than you can imagine." Ravage smirked. "It's my nature after all. Besides, less Grimm sounds like a plus."

"He's not wrong." Weiss followed up, folding her arms.

"Yeah but it's Grimm we didn't fight." Ruby turned to Weiss. Ravage and Yang chuckled.

"Well, this has been fun. I'm glad to have met you all today. I'll see you around, I'd better go get a few supplies." Ravage smiled.

"Yeah, let's hang out again some time." Ruby gave a thumbs up and grinned.

"Sounds good." Ravage returned the gesture with his own thumbs up and grin.

* * *

The broken moon hung in the night sky, its glow descending down upon the ruins of Mountain Glenn, the stars twinkling high up in the void of night. Ravage found himself wandering through the abandoned streets of the desolate city, a trail of dead Grimm behind him as he strolled along: whistling a tune to himself with each step he took, drifting his gaze from left to right and back again as he walked on. He'd only been in the area for a couple of hours but he'd managed to get a few encounters with the local Grimm in, entertaining him in a mild sense. However he sensed a far stronger presence in the area, one he might be able to have some real fun with at his current self-imposed limits. Limits employed because he found no fun or honor in simply steam-rolling pretty much everything: he needed some form of challenge, else he might go mad from boredom. He wasn't the hardest to please though, and for that he was thankful. It wasn't long before Ravage stumbled upon what, whom he was looking for: who he had sensed in this urban wasteland...

* * *

"Hmm..." Adam looked up from the cracked concrete road as his two guards went flying past him on both of his sides. He scowled and looked over his left shoulder.

"Sorry, they were in my way. On the bright side, they get a nap." Ravage stood before him with the hint of a devilish smirk on his face. Adam hid his bewilderment and confusion behind a mask of cold iron will. Ravage ran his right hand through the fur on his head, keeping it in check. "Yes, you must be the one I sensed. Hmm..." Ravage muttered, his grin disappearing.

"State your business, whatever... you... are." Adam fully turned to face the kitsune. Thunder cracked in the distant sky as dark clouds rolled in above. "I am busy, paying my respects." Ravage nodded.

"Huh? You lost people here? Family, friends?"

"Brothers in arms. Left to die in the caves below." Adam answered. "Filthy humans..." He muttered. Ravage narrowed his eyes. He was starting to get a read on him.

"You seem to have a few issues..." He commented. "Maybe I caught you at a bad time."

"Are you wasting my time?" Adam tightened the grip on his sheathed sword. Ravage tightened the grip on his as well. The first droplets of rain began to fall.

"You're standing in the middle of a bunch of ruins at night, it's not as if I caught you during office hours." Ravage retorted.

"Your wit is lost on me... thing..." Adam looked the strange creature stood before him over again. "What are you? You are no Grimm, and you are definitely no Faunus."

"Think of me like a kind of fox." Ravage replied.

"I doubt you have their famous cunning." Adam mused. The rain gradually got heavier.

"You'd be surprised..." Ravage briefly smirked.

"What are you here for?" Adam grew impatient.

"To cut to the chase, I was hoping for a fight with a strong opponent. You're the strongest lifeform I've sensed so far." Ravage answered the Faunus.

"You wish for me to display my abilities? I should cut a beast like you down where you stand for such cheek." Adam wrapped his right hand around the hilt of his sword, Wilt.

"Oh good, no need to ask if you're up for it and we can skip formalities." Ravage grinned. "Not that I was expecting much from what appears to be a brooder." Adam growled. Ravage smirked again.

"You need putting in your place, thing." Adam readied himself.

"Well, this has escalated quickly, it appears a friendly duel is a no. Well... you know a lot of people have died trying to do as such: the whole putting me in my supposed place thing. Luckily I'm in a good mood..." Ravage prepared to fight, assuming his ready stance and wrapping his right hand around the hilt of his katana. "But you will know this devil's power..." For a brief second his right eye's red pupil glowed and yellow bio-electricity zapped around him.

"Though you have the appearance of a freak, your attitude reeks of human bravado." Adam remarked.

"I'm sensing some serious issues here, not even counting your anti-social behaviour." Ravage chuckled. "I'd say you're the one in need of humbling. Now I might enjoy this for several reasons." He narrowed his eyes and prepared to rush Adam as Adam was ready to dash into battle. "Come on..."


	5. Night 1: A Battle in the Rain

Ravage and Adam dashed past one another, their swords drawn as they rushed forward with lightning speed: leaving behind a streak of orange and blue and black and red respectively. As they skidded to a halt the slashes they had made at one another in the blink of an eye left behind visible cuts in the air: Ravage's leaving behind cuts with a blue glow and Adam's attacks leaving behind cuts with a red glow. These pulsing 'slices' shattered as both turned back around to face each other, sheathing their weapons back in their scabbards as they did so. Both parties attacks had perfectly countered one another and so Ravage and Adam were both untouched. The rain continued to fall hard as both the kitsune and Faunus walked towards one another with their sheathed weapons gripped firmly in their left hands.

"I'll end this quickly..." Adam flipped his sword and scabbard around and started firing off multiple rifle shots from the scabbard as he walked forward.

"Make your move." Ravage tilted his head to his right, effortlessly dodging the first bullet as he walked towards Adam. "Make your stand." He summoned spectral blue katanas around him, on both his left and right, and started firing them at will: each one countering Adam's shots and shattering and exploding afterwards. "Make the win..." Ravage drew his sword. "Ha, like you can."

"Feel free to die when you've had enough." Adam blocked Ravage's strike with his scabbard. He dashed backwards and drew his sword, sending forth a beam from its blade. Ravage effortlessly sliced it in half and let the two halves explode behind him. Adam scowled and Ravage smirked. They sheathed their blades and began to walk parallel to one another, walking in a circle as lightning flashed and thunder cracked in the distance. In an instant they had moved towards each other, now rapidly swinging at one another with their swords with increasing speed and ferocity: so much so that they created a sort of dome around themselves, their attacks blocking out every raindrop around them. With one final clash they jumped back from one another, Ravage flying backwards into the air as he resheathed his katana. He then immediately drew it again and Adam only narrowly dashed out of the way of his dimensional slices: each blue streak in the air shattering almost instantaneously afterwards. Ravage landed back on the ground and blocked Adam's thrust attack with the palm of his right hand, the tip of the blade against his palm as his demonic right arm's glowing yellow flesh briefly pulsing. "What...?" Adam muttered.

"Humph..." Ravage smacked Adam with the scabbard for his katana twice in rapid succession, stunning him, before drawing his blade and sending him flying with a single quick slice to the chest. Ravage resheathed his sword as Adam tumbled along the floor and then jumped back onto his feet and growling. Ravage flicked his right hand before tugging at his tank top's collar twice. "Disappointing." Ravage taunted Adam. With that he disappeared from sight, leaving behind a brief afterimage in his place before reappearing above Adam. Adam blocked his downwards strike before knocking the kitsune back, Ravage backflipping through the air, and then sending out a couple of blade beams. Ravage threw his katana forward, it slicing through both attacks in a pinwheel motion. Adam blocked the spinning blade only forth Ravage to reappear straight in front of him immediately after and deliver a straight kick to his gut, grabbing his sword out of the air soon after and resheathing it.

"Scum!" Adam quickly kneed Ravage in the face before launching him into the air with a rising sword slice and then sending him flying with a rifle shot from his scabbard. Ravage flipped through the air as Adam landed back down on the ground, resheathing his blade. At the last moment Ravage summoned a demonic rune: landing safely on it as if it was a wall, launching himself back off of it and flying straight for Adam whilst firing forth a few summoned swords. Adam either countered the summoned swords with his rifle shots or by slicing them to pieces with his sword itself, resheathing the blade as Ravage went to draw his as he flew at him. Both redrew their weapons in the blink of an eye: their blades clashing and sparks flying between them, Ravage's attack pushing Adam back slightly. "Grr..." Adam delivered a sound smack to Ravage's face with his scabbard, followed up by multiple rapid slices to the kitsune before resheathing his sword once more and then immediately quick-drawing it and hitting Ravage with a beam slice that sent the kitsune crashing into a distant pile of debris: the rubble raining down on him as Adam resheathed his blade.

"Heheh..." Adam readied himself. "Heheheh... Hahahahahah..." Ravage's laughter echoed out as the rubble pile began to shift. A torrent of flames and sparks burst out from the debris, sending it all flying with the shockwave that accompanied Ravage's sudden explosive aura. "That's better, keep this up." Ravage looked to Adam with a glow in his right eye as the rubble crashed down around him. Adam was unfazed. "I'm starting to get a sense of fun here. Show me more of your power."

"I will show you death." Adam dashed forward. Ravage grinned and dashed to meet Adam head-on, pulling his right arm back as flames engulfed his fist and bio-electricity zapped around his forearm. Before Adam could draw his sword Ravage had reached him.

"Try and keep up." Ravage jumped up and spin-kicked Adam in the side of the head, dashing after him as he flew off to the side. Ravage reappeared directly in front of him and struck him three consecutive rising uppercuts, knocking him higher each time, before delivering another spinning kick to Adam's side and sending him crashing into the side of a ruined skyscraper. As Ravage landed back down a huge crescent beam rushed out from the smoke: hitting the kitsune head-on and sending him through a couple of walls as Adam dashed out of the smoke, brandishing his sword. Ravage tumbled along the ground before jumping to his feet and skidding to a halt, digging his claws into the concrete to halt himself. He stood back up and wiped the blood from his lip with a devilish grin. Adam was running straight at him. Ravage assumed a fighter's stance, readying himself. Adam picked up speed. At the last moment Ravage dashed to meet Adam head-on, the ground around them exploding with a sudden burst of energy as fist and sword clashed.

"Hyaaargh!" Adam kept on swinging his sword and scabbard rapidly at Ravage countered with a rapid flurry of punches.

"Ora, ora, ora, ora, ora!" Ravage yelled as he threw punch after punch, countering Adam's sword and scabbard swipes and slices. His three tails moved into position, two on his right and one on his left, as he did so: readying the glaive-like tips of each to strike and overwhelm Adam. Adam jumped back the moment Ravage sent his trio of tails flying at him, parrying the strikes from each razor sharp tip with his sword before backflipping away and firing off a shot from his rifle scabbard: which Ravage effortlessly backhanded away with his left hand. Adam skidded backwards and resheathed his blade as Ravage pulled his tails back. "Arrrgggghh!" Ravage powered up, yelling towards the sky as flames literally spewed from his mouth and the pupil of his right eye. Adam readied himself. Ravage launched himself into the air and summoned forth a torrent of lightning to strike him, kicking his bio-electricity into overdrive like his fire aura. He pulled back his right arm before dashing towards the ground below and punching straight into it upon landing. Multiple pillars of fire burst out from the ground, each line advancing towards Adam.

"Come on." Adam rushed forward, dashing inbetween each pillar of flames before jumping and cutting through the last only to be greeted with a right hook to the face from Ravage who then blasted him back with a torrent of bio-electricity from both palms. Adam tumbled along the ground as Ravage landed safely and cupped both hands by his right side. Adam jumped back onto his feet as a fireball ignited between Ravage's palms, torrents of electricity enveloping the fireball as Ravage charged the attack, the ground cracking up around him as his aura grew more intense.

"What?" Adam gripped onto his sword's hilt tighter.

"Get serious!" Ravage thrusted both arms forward and the sparking fireball rushed straight towards Adam, creating a miniture trench beneath it as it raged toward him. Adam quickly jumped out of the way and the sparking fireball smashed into the ruined skyscraper behind him: completely obliterating it. As the towering ruin came crashing down behind Adam, a wave of dust and smoke rushing towards him, Ravage's aura faded and he took his sheathed sword off of his back, carrying it in his left hand. Adam scowled as the smoke and dust cloud overtook him. Ravage drew his sword with his right hand and continued to walk forwards as the cloud rushed towards him as well. It completely overtook him. Inside the blanket of dust and cover of smoke Adam and Ravage repeatedly clashed blade, jumping from one spot to another as they swung at each other until finally with one last clash the meeting of their blades sent out a concussive blast that dispelled the cloud around them, the rain continuing to fall as they both struggled for dominance in the blade clash. Adam had regained his cool, determined to win against the creature that had appeared before him. Adam performed a sweep kick to knock Ravage off of his feet before sending him flying into a building off to the side with a sword beam. Adam resheathed his sword and rushed into the building after Ravage as the kitsune bounced off of a wall inside the ruin. The moment Ravage stood back up Adam kicked him in the face before knocking him up a couple of floors with a rising sword slice. Adam jumped up after him, only for Ravage to block his next attack with his own sword and punch Adam back. After Adam skidded to a halt Ravage ran straight for him and knocked him towards one of the pillars in the room with a sword beam of his own, the blue crescent blast knocking Adam back with great speed, only for Adam to land safely on the side of the pillar.

"Humph." He was unimpressed. Adam launched himself at Ravage but the kitsune countered his quick-draw with a quick-draw of his own. The two began jumping back and forth off of and towards the rest of the concrete pillars on the 3rd floor, their swords clashing with each pass, until Ravage flying-kicked Adam in the gut and sent him crashing out of the side of the building: jumping out after him. As Adam fell with his back to the ground he sent out another large sword beam which Ravage narrowly avoided as he pursued the falling Adam. Adam dug his scabbard into the side of the building then swung around on it to land back on top of the scabbard, blocking Ravage's strike as the kitsune caught up to him. Ravage summoned a demonic rune and launched himself back up: stabbing two of his three tails into the side of the building to keep himself in place. Ravage and Adam stared down as Adam's earlier sword beam exploded above Ravage and sent the top of the building falling down towards the two. Ravage smirked and backflipped higher into the air, pulling his tails' tips out of the building's side. Adam dropped down and plunged his sword into the wall just like his scabbard, looking up to see Ravage slicing effortlessly through the falling building top. Adam launched himself up after Ravage, pulling his sword and scabbard out as he flew upwards before slicing straight through the falling debris heading for him. Ravage flew straight back at him as he sliced through one last debris chunk, the two clashing once more in mid-air as the rubble fell around them. They both jumped back onto opposite facing chunks of debris and resheathed their blades again. They stared down as the debris they stood upon continued to fall. Six summoned swords appeared around Ravage, three on each side. Adam readied his rifle scabbard. Ravage sent each summoned sword flying at Adam, who effortlessly shot each one out of the sky with his rifle scabbard. The two platforms they stood upon got closer to one another as they continued to tumble down parallel to one another and so both Ravage and Adam drew their swords and started rapidly swinging at one another wildly again. Each of their attacks perfect countered the other's, each one parrying the other blow for blow as their platforms continued to fall. With one last clash both Ravage and Adam jumped up into the air so as to avoid crashing the rubble as it reached the ground below. As the smoke and dust raged outAdam and Ravage continued to duel all the while falling back down, disappearing into the cloud below as both went all-in on their contest of overpowering the other.

"Now I'm a little motivated..." Ravage chuckled as he and Adam jumped back from one another in the crater. The dust began to settle and the smoke started to clear. Adam took a few heavy breaths, as did Ravage: though he also still chuckled. Ravage resheathed his katana and ran his right hand through his head fur once again. Adam growled in irritation. He was actually being pushed by this thing. "Come on now." Ravage got ready to draw his sword as Adam dashed towards him at top speed, moving in the blink of an eye.

"Die!" Adam went in with one final strike. Ravage quick-drew his sword. Adam rushed past the kitsune, stumbling to a halt as Ravage twirled his sword around. Ravage sheathed his sword in front of his face and blood spewed from Adam's chest and right arm. The Faunus fell to his knees, grunting in pain. "Y... you..." Adam coughed as Ravage summoned another summon sword and spun it around above his right hand before clenching that hand into a fist.

"That was fun." Ravage smirked, the summoned sword exploding above his right hand. He turned around to face Adam. "You have enough strength left to stand." Ravage muttered as Adam stumbled back onto his feet. "So... I think I'll let you live." With the cut to his right arm he couldn't swing his sword effectively... though that didn't stop him from trying: rushing towards Ravage.

"Gah!" Adam screamed out in agony as Ravage drew his sword and stabbed him straight through his left hip. Ravage turned the blade as it was embedded in Adam. "Ahhh!" Adam dropped his sword and rifle scabbard.

"Foolishness, foolishness. Allow me to re-educate you." Ravage frowned. He looked up to Adam, staring him in the eye. "Might controls everything. Without power you cannot protect anything... let alone yourself." He pulled his sword out of Adam and he let the Faunus fall back: crashing into a puddle. Ravage flicked the blood from his blade before putting it back in its scabbard one last time. "You should learn when to quit, but I'll still leave you alive here. Whether you survive is a matter of your own willpower and your soon to wake up men getting you the medical attention you need. Thanks for the fight, work on that attitude." Ravage turned and left with a smirk on his face.

"D... da... damn... you..." Adam began to lose consciousness. "B... B..." His head dropped down into the puddle and everything went dark for him.


	6. Day 2: No Time for Games

"Urrgggh..." Ravage chucked the dismembered, slowly evaporating, left arm of a beowulf Grimm away, wiping his mouth with his left hand immediately afterwards. "Even cooked they don't taste good..." He grumbled. "Or maybe I am just a terrible cook... ehh, the damn thing was starting to fade away anyway." Ravage looked aside as he sat upon a piece of rubble atop the roof of a small ruined building. He looked out to the rising sun off on the horizon as his campfire slowly died down, the flames fading away. A gentle breeze blew through his head fur and his large ears as he sat there enjoying the view. His sword was sheathed and resting against the rubble he was seated upon, and his jacket was laid out upon said rubble to his right: leaving him in just his sneakers, shorts and tank-top. His bedroll was laid out on the ground off to his right side. A blue butterfly landed besides him, Ravage turned his head to look at the little winged insect. He smiled and offered it his left hand, the butterfly fluttering into his open palm. He lifted it up and nudged it ever so gently with his right index finger before raising his left arm higher and letting it fly off into the morning sky. He turned his gaze back to the rising sun whilst stretching his arms and letting out a soft yawn from his little mouth, revealing his fangs primarily. Ravage stood up, grabbing his jacket as he rose to his feet and twirling it around himself with his right arm before throwing it up into the air, letting it fall back down and putting it on as it did: effortlessly getting both arms in the sleeves as the jacket drifted down through the air. "Keeping it stylish." He picked up his katana soon after and holstered it on his back. "Well... time to pack up." Ravage fired off a single summoned sword behind him, the spectral katana impaling the beowulf that had tried to sneak up on the kitsune in the head: launching the Grimm off of the rooftop, the explosion of the summoned sword then obliterating its head completely as the corpse fell to the street below. "I'll have to come back some time." Ravage shrugged to himself with a grin.

* * *

Ravage was laid back on a tree branch, his back to the trunk and tails dangling down from the side, reading a history book he had purchased from one of the local bookshops yesterday. He intended to find out a little more about the world he was visiting as his memory was either foggy or lost on the subject. He wasn't normally one for reading but he was willing to make exceptions now and again, plus the book had been dirt cheap: not that money was a concern for Ravage. The tree he had placed himself in was in a park in central Vale so the locals, human and Faunus alike, gave the strange creature in plain sight very bewildered looks upon passing: whispering amongst each other in the distance as Ravage sat there minding his own business. He quite literally paid the citizens no heed, they weren't anything to be concerned about and their reactions were the status quo. Actually he was a little surprised no one had screamed upon noticing him yet. Finishing off the last sentence on the page, Ravage slammed the book shut and then transferred it to his hammerspace: the book disappearing with a little flash of light. The kitsune then put his hands behind his head and relaxed, his left leg going over his right as he eased up. He listened to the chirps of the birds resting in the branches above, content with resting there for a while.

"Thief! Thief!" Ravage sighed as he heard the distant shouts of a woman whose handbag had been stolen.

"Great... this old charade. They seriously couldn't be a bit more creative?" Ravage muttered to himself as he watched the culprit, a man in plain clothes, make a run for it. No-one was trying to stop him. "How... standard." He jumped out from the tree and rushed across the park in the blink of an eye, moving on all fours before jumping into the air and onto the rooftops: following the thief from above. The thief made a quick left turn and ran into an alleyway, stumbling to a halt a moment later as he heard a clanging from around the next right. He took a few steps back as Ravage slowly climbed down the wall on his left.

"Huh?" The man look down to see one of Ravage's tail tips poking out through his chest. The man dropped the handbag as Ravage lifted him up with his tail still going through him and turned the thief around to face him. The handbag mysteriously and strangely faded away as Ravage did so. Ravage growled as he looked into the man's eyes, still on the wall as he had his central tail imbedded in him.

"I don't have time for illusions, so I'm not playing along." Ravage glanced to his right, frowning. The man faded away as well. Ravage pulled his tail back. "Of all the ways to get my attention and you don't even put any effort into it." Ravage dropped down from wall and rose back up to see Emerald standing before him. "I'm almost hurt by it." He remarked. Ravage quickly threw his right arm out behind him and grabbed Mercury's right leg: lifting him overhead and throwing him to Emerald's side.

"Oww..." Mercury groaned half-heartedly. He wasn't even close to hurt. He jumped back onto his feet and brushed himself off.

"Next time I'll crush those metal stilts of yours." Ravage warned with the hint of a smirk on his face.

"Huh?" Mercury raised his left brow.

"He means he'll brake your legs." Emerald sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's just... how'd he?" Mercury scratched his head.

"Alright dumb and dumber, what do you want?" Ravage folded his arms.

"You must be... Ravage." Emerald turned back to Ravage.

"You must be with that Faunus with the bad attitude. The red-haired one." Ravage replied.

"He's quick. Really quick." Mercury commented, muttering to Emerald.

"In a sense..." Emerald answered the kitsune. "We are associates of a sort." She added.

"Still with us?" Ravage inquired.

"Barely." Mercury shrugged.

"He's on the road to recovery." Emerald followed up. "You did a number on him."

"He should've stayed down. I'm assuming this is also why you haven't had a swing at me yet." Ravage responded. "I wouldn't try it at all, plus I'm not even interested in fighting you two: much less so in a venue like this." He followed up.

"We just wanna know what your game is." Mercury spoke up,

"No, your boss wants to know. You two are clearly lackeys." Ravage corrected Mercury. "I have no 'game' as you put it. I'm simply on vacation. I was looking for a good fight and then I found him in that ruined city. You know the rest." Mercury and Emerald were silent. "Don't worry, I'm not here to directly interfere with whatever you guys are involved in."

"Then why..." Emerald was cut off.

"I was looking for a good fight." Ravage repeated himself. "And that's all. Now, I'll take my leave, you two go report back to your boss." He walked straight past the two, Emerald and Mercury stepping out of his way and letting him pass. Ravage stopped. "I can tell you're all up to no-good." He looked over his right shoulder. "But I don't particularly care. I'm just on vacation. I'll most likely be gone by the time things get rolling. If I know anything about schemes and plots you're waiting for that tournament to carry whatever you're up to out." Ravage continued. Mercury and Emerald looked to each other. "Of course." Ravage chuckled. He turned his head back. "Like I said I don't care as I'll probably be gone by then. But if anything does go off whilst I'm here... well, I guess I'll just kill you all for ruining the fun." He looked back once more and smirked. Emerald and Mercury looked him in the eye. A soul-crushing shiver went up the duo's spines as Ravage's right eye glowed for a split-second. In that single moment he instilled them with a fear they thought impossible. "That Faunus; you two, your boss..." Ravage stared into their souls. "Her boss..." He continued. How'd he know that? "And whoever else I need to... or feel like." He looked away one last time and began walking off. "Timeline changes be damned." He muttered. "Have a nice day." He looked back again and gave a genuine smile, waving goodbye before turning the corner. Emerald and Mercury were left standing there, wondering what in the hell he was.


	7. Day 2: Summons

Ravage walked down the street, shaking his head and sighing as he carried his sheathed katana on his back, only to look up and see four Atlesian Knight-200s approaching him. Ravage came to a stop and gave the robots a mildly curious look. They stopped a few metres away from the kitsune, staring at him as he folded his arms.

"Huh... tin-men..." The kitsune muttered. He unfolded his arms and smirked for a brief moment before taking a few steps forward. The AK-200s didn't move out of the way. Ravage stopped again. "Ok, what do you want?" He sighed.

"Unidentified sentiant lifeform, with have orders that you are to be brought by us to the commanding airship of the Atlesian airfleet. We hope you will co-operate fully and come peacefully, this is not an arrest: merely a summoning." One Atlesian Knight-200 stepped forward from the group. Ravage looked up to the skies, the fleet was indeed flying high, high up in the sky.

"Fleet huh?" Ravage scratched his head. "And here I thought it was all just for decoration." He snarked. Ravage looked back to the robots standing before him. "Sure, I'll comply. But I can get there much quicker on my own... and I can guess which one is the commanding airship. Not hard to find the biggest, most bombastic ship." Ravage shrugged. He held his left arm out to his side and summoned a demonic rune on the floor: channeling extra energy into the rune.

"We have a perfectly viable dropship ready and waiting not far off, sir." The lead Atlesian Knight-200 responded. Ravage sidestepped onto the rune.

"Yeah but I like 1st class." Ravage replied. With that he was off, the crimson rune launching him into the air with incredible speed: like a bolt of lightning he was off, only towards the clouds and not from them. As Ravage flew higher and higher, the clouds rushing past him and the wind blowing hard against his face and through his fur and ears, he looked down to see the city disappear beneath the white clouds: looking back up to see the blue skies and sun overhead. He curled up into a ball and summoned another demonic rune, which he landed safely upon after uncurling himself. He quickly looked around, studying the various airships flying through the sky until he came upon the largest far, far off in the distance to the east. It wasn't too far from some kind of giant human structure, like a sort of castle with a massive tower from what Ravage could make out. Ravage cracked his knuckles and had the rune he stood upon aim towards the east as he placed extra power into it. The rune glowed intensely as Ravage readied himself for blast off. The kitsune grinned. The rune practically exploded with energy, launching Ravage forward at such speeds he easily broke the sound barrier and left behind a sonic boom. "Whoah-oh! Woooooo!" Ravage flipped and spun through the air as he flew straight towards the airship, pulling off multiple tricks as he rushed through the skies. "Now this is 1st class! Yeah!" Ravage exclaimed, grabbing his left foot with his left hand, holding his leg up behind his back as he flipped forwards. "Hahahahahah!" Ravage was really enjoying himself as he got closer and closer to the airship. "Wait..." Ravage stopped performing tricks and let himself just fly forward. "How am I going to get on the ship?" He muttered to himself.

* * *

Ozpin stood in his office, his coffee mug in hand as he looked out of one of the many windows, when Ravage suddenly flew past him. The kitsune, in the brief moment that their eyes met, gave a thumbs up before flying away as quickly as he came. Ozpin took a sip of his coffee.

"Our guest is here." Ozpin muttered to himself. "What a grandiose entrance. Hope he sticks the landing."

* * *

"I hope I stick this landing." Ravage muttered as he fast approached the airship. He had moments till impact. "Oh this is going to be tight..." His face dropped. Ravage flipped forward before firing off streams of flames from his palms, trying desperately to slow his approach. "Annnd..." He flipped forward again before rolling and tumbling across the deck of the airship from its left side, across the deck, and then tumbling straight over the right-hand side after multiple bumps as he crashed onto the airship's deck. "Grr! Urgh! Umph! Ahh!" Ravage rolled off the side of the airship after bouncing and tumbling across the deck. "Damn it!" He exclaimed as he tumbled over the side. Luckily he managed to grab onto the ledge with his demon arm's 'special trick': summoning a large yellow spectral copy tethered to said arm that grabbed onto the edge of the deck and pulled Ravage back up in a flash, before he fell to the academy grounds below. Ravage pulled himself back up onto the deck itself and rolled sideways until he was a good distance away from the edge and safely laying on his back. He opened his right eye after letting out a short, little sigh. "That was fun. I wanna do that again." He sat up and smiled. He looked his right arm over and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist. "Love this thing." The yellow flesh of the arm glowing for a brief moment afterwards. A squad of Atlesian Knight-200s were rushing towards him. "Ah the welcoming committee..." Ravage chuckled, stumbling to his feet. He clapped his hands together. "Where's the food?" He wondered aloud to himself.


	8. Day 2: Meeting Aboard the Airship

Ravage walked in to the office of General James Ironwood, the double doors flying open as he strolled on in: two Atlesian Knight-200s closing the doors behind him as the kitsune walked up to the desk at the other end of the room. Ravage came to a stop a couple of metres before the desk as Ironwood stood up from his chair. Ravage glanced around the room for a brief moment.

"Damn, no food here either..." He mumbled.

"Hello." Ravage turned his head back to Ironwood. "I'm General Ironwood, of the Atlesian military." Ironwood gave Ravage a quick study, looking the 3 foot 3 creature over. "I understand you made your way here of your own accord."

"Not to knock your tech, General, but I prefer more... thrilling flights. Plus I got here a lot faster." Ravage responded. Ironwood nodded.

"Yes, 15 minutes ahead of schedule." He noted.

"So what can I do for you?" Ravage inquired.

"It's more of a matter of what you can do for all of us." Ironwood replied. Ravage raised his right brow.

"Great, charity work." Ravage snarked, scratching the back of his left ear. The doors opened up behind the kitsune. Ravage looked over his right shoulder with a mildly curious look on his face. Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch walking in as the Atlesian Knight-200s once again closed the double doors behind them.

"We just want to ask a few questions." Ironwood looked back to Ravage.

"I'm beginning to feel this is more of an arrest than a summons..." Ravage muttered.

"Ozpin. Glynda." Ironwood nodded to the other two.

"James." Ozpin nodded to Ironwood. He then looked down to Ravage and smiled. "We'd like to know more about you."

"You wouldn't be the first..." Ravage replied.

"Surely you understand." Ironwood interjected. "But you're hardly an everyday sight, and you don't line up with anything we know lives in this world." He continued. "We need to assess you."

"We are highly curious as to who you are and where you came from." Ozpin added.

"Isn't everybody?" Ravage commented. "I suppose I can spare a bit of information, if only to get your tin-men off my back." He looked back to Ironwood again. "Because I'd rather not be followed everywhere when I'm on vacation."

"Vacation?" Glynda asked.

"What I'll let slip about myself may confuse and weird you all out... quite a bit actually. I don't know, depends on how much you're willing to believe." Ravage followed up. Ozpin took a sip of his coffee.

"Do tell." He spoke up. "I don't think you're going to lie, you have no apparent reason to, and it may end up not being the craziest story I've ever heard."

"I'll hold you to that." Ravage smirked. "Well to get formalities out of the way..."

"Your name is Ravage, correct? And you're something called a kitsune. So I've been told." Ozpin smiled. "Ruby Rose wouldn't stop talking about you for a while. She also really wants to pet you."

"She is rather hyperactive." Glynda added.

"Why am I not surprised...?" Ravage looked aside. "Well, anyway... fire off the questions you have for me." He turned his head back.

* * *

A beringel Grimm slumped down dead in a wide open field, joining its fellow Grimm in death as its slayer stood calmly before its corpse: surrounded by the bodies of countless beowolfs; ursai, boarbatusk and other beringel Grimm. The lone figure raised her right arm and held her open hand to the sky, her flowing fire-red hair, which reached to her shoulders and was parted at the front, waving in the gentle breeze and drifting to her left. Her skin was a healthy shade of peach and the pupils in her eyes were deep crimson. The woman stood at 5 foot 9 and had a pair of fox ears atop her head with a total of nine orange fox tails flowing behind her. She was dressed in a brilliant white kimono with red flower patterns decorating it, with a two-tailed white longcoat over her kimono, crimson combat pants covering her legs, and knee-length white boots over said pants. Strapped to her waist by its red saya was her sheathed muramasa-style katana: its scabbard jet-black and decorated with golden flame patterns. The sword's hilt was wrapped in fine red cloth with a silver, cross handguard and a silver hilt butt. The woman rested her left hand on the sheathed sword's hilt as she held her right arm up into the air.

"I could make a fine weapon from you lot..." The woman muttered with a mild smirk. Her voice was cold and calm, with a cunning tone to it. "Hmm, I can't detect souls, very well: I'll use your essence instead." She followed up as streams of black energy left the dissolving Grimm around her and gathered above her open right palm. In an instant she taken the essence of each Grimm and absorbed it into herself. Her eyes glowed with power as she lowered her right arm. Twisted gauntlets and greaves began to form over her forearms and lower legs, taking on a black appearance with glowing red markings and bone white knuckles and fingers and razor sharp nails on the hands and feet respectively. The woman looked over her new weapon set as they took full form on her, her grin revealing one of her fangs. She looked at her open palms before clenching her hands into fists and then looking over her greaves, admiring the razor sharp nails on the toes. The woman watched as her gauntlets and greaves glowed red like roses. She looked up and cracked her neck from side to side as a Grimm goliath stampeded towards her. "Hmm..." She moved her left leg behind her right and ran her right hand through her hair before beckoning the goliath forward with her right index finger. "Come on." The goliath swung its trunk at the mysterious woman but she had already made her move. Like lightning she rushed forward, uppercutting the huge Grimm in the chin and launching it high into the air, flying up with it. As the goliath roared out in pain and began to fall back down the woman unleashed a revolving kick and sliced straight through the beast with her left foot: cutting it clean in half. She landed safely on her feet as the two halves of the goliath crashed down behind her with a mighty thud each. "Dull creature... I suppose I did let loose a little too much." The woman spun back around and sent forth a white crescent beam from each leg as she kicked the air twice: both beams completely obliterating the two halves of the dead goliath. The woman lowered her right leg and dispelled her new weapon set, the gauntlets and greaves disappearing in a flash of light. "These weapons will make a fine addition to my collection." She chuckled. The woman turned back around and walked off, heading towards the Emerald Forest.


	9. Day 2: Vulpes Daemon

"Well... this has been an interesting... talk." Ironwood stood up from his chair behind his desk. Ozpin and Glynda were sat to his left and Ravage was seated to his right, the kitsune's legs over the left arm of the chair he rested in. Glynda nudged her glasses up.

"I find some things rather hard to believe... but you have no reason to lie about what we've asked." She admitted. "And that's what concerns me the most."

"Perfectly rational. Sometimes rational isn't the way to go though." Ravage shrugged.

"Well I can say I'm not getting any negative vibes from you, despite your strange appearance and less than... average... name." Ozpin interjected. "I see no reason to have you detained any longer in fact, you're just here to enjoy yourself and your exploits against the Grimm are welcomed. I dare say you'd make one of the finest hunters in years." He added. James was silent. "If you were one that is."

"I have to agree, surprisingly enough." Ironwood spoke up. The others looked to him. "You may be an unnatural sight but you don't seem ill-willed, and I do doubt you have the intention of causing purposeful harm. However, I do have to consider the people first."

"Of course." Ravage nodded. Ironwood nodded in return.

"But you've not caused ruckus amongst them yet so I have no solid reasons to keep you out of public sight... plus you're pretty well known already through whispers and recordings. As long as a panic doesn't break out... you're free to go about your business. Enjoy your... vacation, as you put it. I'll still have tabs on you however, merely as a precaution for several reasons. It's only logical, and I do have to do my duty of ensuring peace any way I can." Ironwood folded his arms behind his back.

"Understandable. You have my thanks." Ravage saluted with his left hand.

"Well, now that this is all sorted." Ozpin stood up. "I'd like to invite you, Ravage, to my academy. I bet the students would be fascinated to meet such a unique individual such as yourself. Why, you could even give some combat tips." Ravage laughed.

"That sounds like fun actually, Professor." Ravage sat up, proceeding to get up out of his chair. "Why not? It's always nice to meet new people."

"I can't guarantee any... sparring matches though, as disappointing as that may sound to you." Ozpin smirked.

"Ah well, some things we must sacrifice." Ravage smirked back.

* * *

The nine-tailed woman stood at the edge of a steep cliff, with only darkness far below, she looked out to the ancient ruins in the ravine, the towers and bridges the remnant of a forgotten era. The woman stood alone, arms folded and the wind blowing her shimmering fire-red hair and her longcoat's tailends back. A horde of Grimm emerged from the patch of forest far behind her, stalking across the grassy plains. Grimm beowolves and ursai alike advancing towards the woman. They were too young to know better. The woman slowly turned around, her crimson eyes glowing, leaving behind a blood red trail as she moved. Fire ignited beneath her feet, setting the ground ablaze before engulfing the woman completely. The blue sky was corrupted into a deep red, the white clouds warped to black. The woman grinned. With a flick of the wrist she summoned a wall of fire directly in front of her. She stalked forward as she summoned her Grimm weapon set, gauntlets and greaves appearing over her, stepping into the flames and chuckling.

"I will entertain your pleas for death... I can spare the little time it will take even at my current state." She spoke up, her eyes still glowing intensely. A collection of red spectral cutlasses appeared at her sides, the crimson summoned swords hovering on her left and right: four on each side. "The outcome is set but I care not. After all, it's the journey not the destination." Her grin grew into a slasher smile briefly before she set forth. You could almost hear the ominous latin chanting that should stereotypically be accompanying the woman. _Estuans interius ira vehementi,_ _Raine, Raine. Vulpes daemon, vulpes daemon, estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine. Diabolus clamor, angeli scream, diabolus clamor, angeli scream, estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine. Estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine._ The Grimm rushed forward as one dark horde. The flames disappeared, the sky returned to normal and the woman's eyes ceased to glow but her confident stride forward continued. "A little exercise is always good." The woman left behind an afterimage as she dashed forward in a blur, moving effortlessly and gracefully towards the enemy faster than they could track. She reappeared straight behind the first ursa and a moment later its head exploded with a pulse of energy. She was right in front of an alpha beowolf. It tilted its head in confusion at her as she moved her right arm back and held her left fist to its chest. She thrusted her left fist into its chest, delivering a one-inch punch and completely obliterated the beast with the sudden attack. The woman took a deep breath as a trio of beowolves ran towards her on all fours. With a swift rising axe kick she sliced the 1st in half vertically; dashed to the 2nd beowolf and karate-chopped it through the neck, chopping its head off, then jumped over the 3rd, swiftly spinning back around and roundhouse kicking the Grimm in the back, snapping the beowolf's spine in half with the blow. The woman closed her eyes and smiled, smacking the beowolf that attempted to attack her from behind effortlessly with her right hand. "Try again..." She taunted the beast as it stumbled back up. She fired her summoned swords off behind her, all 8 stabbing into the Grimm at once before exploding and destroying its body. Two ursas jumped at the woman from her left and right, only to be blasted back with white energy balls from her gauntlets: blasting holes through their chests. The woman immediately swung around and grabbed a beowolf by its head as it rushed at her. She crushed its head in before burning its brain and eyes to ash with fire which she summoned over her right gauntlet. She tossed the corpse away afterwards and beckoned the remaining Grimm with her left index finger. The ursas and beowolves roared out and charged towards her as the fire on her right arm disappeared. "I'm starting to mildly enjoy this." The woman chuckled. She put her right foot behind her left and charged up her right greave: readying a crescent beam which she would unleash with a single kick. "Come on, I'll even slow down for you." The woman's eyes briefly glowed. Swinging her right foot forward in a sweeping kick the nine-tailed woman unleashed a huge white crescent beam from her foot before rushing after the blast, jumping over it as it cut through rows upon rows of Grimm and pulling her left arm back as she charged up a blast in her left gauntlet: flying forward with her attack charging as a horde of beowolves leap into the air, tooth and claw ready, both sides flying at one another...


	10. Day 2: Welcome to Beacon

The last Grimm, a lone alpha beowolf, crawled desperately but hopelessly as the nine-tailed woman stood atop the burning corpse of an ursa, wreathed in flames herself and crushing the throat of a beowolf in her left hand. She glanced over to her right and saw the alpha beowolf crawling further and further away. She smirked, dropping the beowolf in her left hand and lowering her left arm immediately afterwards. The alpha kept on crawling. For the first time that Grimm had experienced the horror of fear: the horror its kind brought upon the people of the world. The tables had been unforgivingly turned. The woman stepped off of the burning ursa and slowly walked after the escaping Grimm, each of her steps scorching the ground she stood upon. The alpha dug its claws into the dirt, pulling itself forward. Its legs had been taken from it, brutally torn from its body earlier. Unfortunately for the Grimm, it had lived through the dismemberment. The woman dispelled her Grimm gauntlets and greaves, the weapon set vanishing with a flash of light. Her flames burned on, her eyes crimson and filled with killing intent. A devilish smirk lay upon her face as she stalked after the alpha beowolf, her fox tails flowing gracefully behind her as she walked along. The Grimm stopped and looked back to see the woman standing over it. She stomped on its head with her left foot, smashing its head into the dirt before taking the foot off of the beast and walking in front of it as the Grimm growled weakly. The woman picked it up by its right ear with her right hand: their crimson eyes meeting as she held the defeated beast up, humiliating it. It was weak, defenceless and dying. It would have done the same to innocent people, the tables had just been turned. But this was not the woman's concern, after all: this was all for fun. Battle was in her blood, and in battle mercy was almost non-existent. Especlally for monsters. She let go and dropped the Grimm to the ground, running her right hand through her hair afterwards. Her aura of flames faded and she raised her left arm slightly, holding her open palm to the Grimm. The Grimm looked up. The woman chuckled. She admittedly had a bit of fun with the Grimm horde, but playtime was over: she had business to attend to. The alpha beowolf's eyes widened. A sphere of yellow energy appeared before the woman's open palm and slowly grew larger, its glow reaching the trembling Grimm's face.

* * *

"Welcome to Beacon." Ozpin took a sip of his cofee and nudged his glasses up with his left index finger.

"Pretty snazzy place you got here, very grand." Ravage smiled, folding his arms as he stood beside Ozpin and Glynda. Beacon Academy stood before them, the trio on the main avenue leading up to the main academy buildings.

"Thank you. I try to have it upkept to the best of my ability." Ozpin replied. "So far so good." He added. "Come, let me show you around." Ozpin looked down to Ravage. Ravage nodded.

* * *

The nine-tailed woman sat at a little table out front at a cafe, a cup of herbal tea in her right hand as she sat back and relaxed. She had only just gotten into the city of Vale but she had some spare time to enjoy a good cuppa. Nobody had actually reacted strangely towards her during her entire time there, besides one or two glances at her multiple fox tails, in fact she seemed to fit in rather well. The woman took a sip of her tea before placing the cup back down on the table, onto a little plate, and looking out towards the park across the road with a smile. The weather was still rather nice, the sky blue and clear and the sun shining brightly above. The woman's fox ears twitched. Her smile disappeared and she sighed. She'd not finished her drink yet but it was time for her to leave. A distant screaming reached her, followed by the sound of jet engines. She stood up and placed a money note on the table. Just then a Bullhead aircraft flew down the street, having made a tight right turn and flying just above the road. The woman ran her left hand through her hair before leaping into the air and flipping onto the top of the VTOL just as it passed by the cafe. The woman rose up as the aircraft made another sharp right turn, managing to remain atop the aircraft effortlessly: her fire-red hair waving violently in the wind.

* * *

"The hell was that?" The White Fang member piloting the Bullhead looked up in confusion.

* * *

The nine-tailed woman folded her arms and stamped a couple of times on the aircraft. The Bullhead made a sharp left and flew inbetween rows of skyscrapers.

* * *

"You lot... go check that out." The pilot looked back to the six White Fang members in the back.

"Are you insane?" One of them exclaimed.

"Do it." The pilot growled.

* * *

The woman could hear the back of the aircraft open up and so she turned around to see the White Fang members climb up onto the top of the aircraft as the pilot maintained a steady altitude.

"What the...?"

"You're causing a scene." The woman spoke up, bluntly speaking to the White Fang.

"Who's this broad?" One of the White Fang turned to another. They shrugged. The woman unfolded and summoned her Grimm gauntlets and greaves. The Bullhead made a right turn, the White Fang members nearly falling off as the woman remained in place.

"Urgh... let's just deal with her quick." The lead grunted, regaining his balance.

"Time to put your mettle to the test now." The woman assumed a fighting stance and smirked.

"Let's get her!" One White Fang member foolishly rushed forward, and swung at the nine-tailed woman with his axe. She swiftly dodged and then kneed him in the crotch before jumping up and kicking him in the side of the head: sending him flying off of the aircraft and crashing into the side of one of the buildings the Bullhead flew past.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't you know you're messing with the best now." The woman smirked and reassumed her fighting stance before beckoning the others to come at her with her left hand.

"Oh come on! This was supposed to be a simple aircraft hijack."

"Shut up and we'll overwhelm her." Four of the remaining five rushed forward.

"Yeah, announce the plan." The last sighed and followed closely behind. The woman chuckled as the White Fang charged towards her, brandishing their swords and axes, and she prepared to counter their assault.

"Idiots..." She chuckled to herself.


	11. Day 2: A Familiar Face

The White Fang member that had piloted the Bullhead stumbled out of the wreckage, the aircraft having crashed outside the city of Vale and in the wilderness. Their Grimm mask was cracked and blood ran down the side of their face, their clothes also torn and scuffed, but for the most part they were fine: miraculously. They coughed and came to a stop not too far from the downed aircraft, catching their breath. It seemed all the others were dead, none of his comrades anywhere in sight. The White Fang member looked back and saw that he was alone. The nine-tailed woman, which he had not seen himself, had jumped off just after dooming the aircraft by blowing its wings off with energy blasts from her gauntlets. The White Fang member sighed and looked down at the floor.

"The boss is going to be pissed... oh crap... what if it was that thing that he fought? Oh crap..." The White Fang member looked around, feeling as if he was being watched. He couldn't see anything. Suddenly he was lifted swiftly up off of the ground and then sent flying into the side of a tree, seemingly by nothing. "Ahh!" He bounced off of the tree and fell to the ground, tumbling forward. In truth the nine-tailed woman had been moving faster than his eyes could track and had struck him at a blinding speed. "What the...?" The Faunus stumbled to his feet before falling straight back down onto his knees. The nine-tailed woman was now standing before him. "What?!" She lifted him off of the ground, her right hand gripped round his neck. His mask fell off. She looked him in the eye. "What... are you...?"

"I could ask you the same. Hmm... as weak as the rest..." She dropped him and turned around, walking away as the White Fang member rubbed his throat. The woman was content with leaving him alone now. The Faunus stumbled to his feet once more and pulled out a dagger. The woman turned back around in the blink of an eye and unleashed a torrent of yellow bio-electricity from her left hand's fingertips: shocking the Faunus and frying him with the attack, the poor fool screaming in agony as the woman electrocuted him to death. He shouldn't have tried such a brash move. His demise would not be quick.

* * *

Ravage stood at a vending machine in one of the many hallways of one of Beacon Academy's main buildings, looking through the change in his right palm. He'd not long ago just finished being given a tour by Ozpin and Glynda and for some reason, which Ravage hadn't quite deciphered yet, Ozpin had seen fit to let Ravage wander on his own as the professor went to attend to official business of some kind. The first thing Ravage did was seek out a vending machine, he at least wanted some form of snack: Ironwood's airship had been lacking in the catering department, as much as the kitsune could tell anyway. Ravage needed to pass the time somehow until something else came along to hold his attention, which he had rightly deduced could be any minute now considering where he was.

"Uhh... hmm... what should I get?" Ravage muttered to himself, scratching the back of his left ear with his left hand.

"Ravage!" A familiar squeal reached Ravage's ears. The kitsune jolted his head up, his ears pointing straight up as his right eye widened. His main character senses were in overload. That was fast, he hadn't even met any kind of supporting cast yet: but then the 3 foot 3 creature remembered Ruby would definitely have been on lookout for him. Oh he knew Ozpin probably pointed the girl in his direction after they parted ways. Oh well, he had no problem with that. He put his money away.

"Huh?" Ravage looked to his right only to be greeted by Ruby picking him up and rubbing the top of his forehead, and the fur atop it. "Wah!" Ravage wasn't expecting that straight off the bat, his tails and legs flailing about as Ruby held him up. "Personal space! Personal space!" Ravage exclaimed, his little legs running in place as he was held high by the teen. Ruby put the kitsune back down and patted him on the head with a huge smile. Ravage took a deep breath before running his right hand through his head fur, putting it back in place. "You have some grip on ya..." Ravage looked up to Ruby.

"Heheh... I didn't think you'd visit us this quickly, Ravage." Ruby commented.

"Well I met your Headmaster and some of his friends earlier aboard that airship outside, he offered to show me around the place, let me meet some of his students... didn't think I'd be 'assaulted' within minutes of being left to my own devices though." The kitsune joked. "You were waiting weren't you?"

"Maybe." Ruby shrugged.

"Well, I'm here now and I may as well spend the rest of the day here... so why not introduce me to the others? Where's your friends by the way?" Ravage replied.

"Oh I kinda rushed off the moment Ozpin told me you were here. I may have gone a little too fast..." Ruby explained, rubbing the back of her head.

"I knew it..." Ravage looked aside, of course Ozpin had went and told Ruby he was at Beacon after leaving him on his own. He turned back to Ruby. "Well, you got one petting in when I was off guard. But no more, ok?"

"Fine..." Ruby sighed. "I'll just wait until you're off guard again." She smirked.

"You are a persistent one. Ah well. You'll be waiting a long time." Ravage chuckled.

"Well, come on: let's go get the others. I got a lot of people to introduce you to." Ruby pointed behind herself with a smile. Ravage nodded.

"Sounds good, I'm not just here for the architecture after all." He smiled back.


	12. Day 2: A Foggy Recollection

"Found him." Ruby announced to her team as she walked up to them with Ravage by her side, smiling as Weiss, Blake and Yang turned to face the two.

"We meet again." Ravage spoke up.

"Camping trip go well?" Yang inquired. Ravage nodded.

"Spectacularly. Had a wonderful time." He smiled, looking up to Yang as she stood before him and Ruby alongside Blake and Weiss. "How have you all been?"

"Just had a regular couple of days. Surprisingly enough." Blake answered.

"Almost painfully average." Yang added.

"Still." Weiss interjected. "It's nice to have them every now and then." Blake added.

"Ehh, I suppose. I wouldn't really know the definition of a typically average day... well..." Ravage shrugged before contemplating and rubbing his chin with his right hand. "Besides just being at home with mom of course. Guess that's the closest to normal I know personally." He looked back to the others.

"You really are a strange one, Ravage." Ruby looked down at the kitsune and smiled. Ravage chuckled and gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks. I like being strange, normality I find practically painful." He replied.

"So, feel like sharing a few stories then, as we wander round?" Yang questioned.

"Sure, why not." Ravage turned back to Yang. "It's only fair."

"Ooh, can ya tell us about your bandanna?" Ruby quickly spoke up.

"I guess I did promise... but I'll give you a less... detailed account of it, no need to potentially upset your appetites." Ravage sighed half-heartedly, actually not that bothered by having to recount the event.

"I guess it's a... dark story." Weiss muttered.

"It's a matter of perspective, I like to look back on it in a... different manner. A motivating manner. I don't really expect you to understand but that's ok, it's a personal thing. Of course I'm still happy to tell you all." Ravage responded. "Let's talk and walk." He smiled. Team RWBY nodded together, and so recall and tell the events of the 'loss' of his left eye Ravage did: giving the girls a non-graphic and simple retelling of the events that had transpired on that day so, so long ago. He wasn't about to tell them all the gruesome details after all, it wouldn't be right. But of course as Ravage retold the long tale to Team RWBY, only telling them of the loss of his eye in particular when he got to the main part of the story, a more complete, yet rather hazzy, version of the exact moment he was 'maimed' played out in his mind, as it often did whenever he recalled that particular adventure of his...

* * *

"Look out!" The clashing of blades sounded out in Ravage's mind. "Heheh... not falling for that one..." He recalled his words, his smirk.

"Ravage!" The voices of friends long gone sounded out in union, calling for the kitsune. "The gem!"

"Huh?" He remembered his initial confusion and then it hit him. "GAH! ARRRGGGGHHH!" Ravage reered back in pain, screaming towards the heavens in agony as the blade was driven into his left eye: straight through his crimson pupil. "GAARRRRGGHHH!" Ravage stumbled back, dropping his katana before his assailant tried to dislodge his blade from the kitsune's eyeball, only for Ravage to lash out and instinctively break the blade: however this left half of the sword still lodged into him, piercing into the back of his socket as the kitsune crumbled to his knees in unbearable pain. The blade hadn't just blinded him, oh no, it had pierced a part of his brain and that was where the brunt of the pain was coming from. Curling up in a fetal position on the floor with his three tails lashing about uncontrollably, Ravage covered his left eye with both hands and continued to scream and flail as the blade pierced through his eyeball and into his brain. Continuing to scream and yell, Ravage miraculously stumbled to his feet as his vision was blurred and bloodied.

"The beast is weak! Kill it whilst we have the chance!"

"No!"

"AGH-GAH!" Ravage remembered being impaled through the chest but his tails then sliced apart this first attacker before they could deliver him more suffering, an attacker which he could not make out due to his impaired vision and overwhelming paon, only for another to rush at him. "ARRRGGGGHHH!" Ravage's left forearm was sliced clean off and went flying, the kitsune stumbling back before he found a few more attackers had charged him and sliced off both of his legs and two of his three tails. "AHHHH!" He remembered being sent flying by the next attack that hit him: some form of magic blast he vaguely recalled, which also blasted a hole through his chest. As he remembered then having sword after sword plunged into his torso by multiple assailants he could hear fighting in the distance, his allies trying to come to his aid, but it was already too late. Everything went dark for Ravage.

* * *

'Why...?' The kitsune thought to himself. Ravage laid in a void, staring blankly into the distance as he felt nothing. He wasn't pondering his injuries, as they hadn't approached life threatening for him at his current state: he had prepared for such an event, he hadn't lowered his power to the point this could've been fatal, he wasn't that naive especially considering where he was and the importance of his quest. However the fact he was still injured to this extent did concern him a little, but it was not what he pondered so intensely at that time. 'Why must things continue like this...? Why?' He continued to think. 'Why must things continually get in my way? Why? Why is it I feel everything is dead set against me finally winning?' He continued to float alone in the void. 'Why?' His right eye narrowed. 'Why can my mom not have peace? Why must everything stand in my way, try to disrupt my attempts at saving her? Why am I not allowed the one thing I've only ever wanted? Why? Why can't I have my mom back?' He had devolved into near madness now, continually asking question after question to nothing. 'Why must I always be left alone?! Why can't I have my mom safe and sound?! Why?! WHY?! I WANT MY MOM! I JUST WANT HER SAFETY! I WANT MY FAMILY!' Ravage was engulfed in flames, his right eye glowing intensely now. 'I HATE THIS! I HATE IT! I WANT MY MOM TO BE SAFE! I WANT TO BE WITH HER, AS A FAMILY AGAIN! I WANT MY MOM! IT'S ALL I WANT! I HATE THIS... I... hate all of it...' Tears welled up in his right eye as his flames died away. 'I just want... my mom... is it too much for a child to ask that...?' He sniffled and tried his best to compose himself. But he could not. He couldn't hide the fact he was losing it, he was only a kid and he had been continually denied the one thing no kid should ever be denied: their mother.

'Then fight... get back up and fight'

'Huh?' Ravage looked around. He knew that voice. 'Gr... grandfather...? Is that you granddad?' Ravage asked. He couldn't see anybody.

'Ravage, you know only you can save your mother. You know you've discovered the way after all this time. You can do what I could never do, why I failed as a father... you can save her. You just have to fight on a little more... unleash more of your power...' The voice continued. 'You just have to fight like a real demon, like your mother and I... show them that power you locked away: no more kindness. Of course you don't have to go all out, you'll never have to, but show them true fear. Show them those gems belong to our family... this was our planet... take it back, and in doing so: save her.' Ravage's grandfather appeared before him in the guise of a flaming silhoutte: the fires taking the shape of a large beastly fox with nine-tails and large ears. 'No more mercy. Not at this stage. Continue to toy with them by all means, but no mercy... I'll be watching over you... you need only call if you require my power as well.' A devilish grin formed on the literal fire fox's face. 'Now dry those tears and show them a true devil's power...' Ravage grinned, he could feel his wounds healing at last.

'Gladly...'

* * *

"Power... I need more power..." Ravage's right eye flicked open. His voice grew deeper and gained a chilling echo effect to it. A sudden burst of demonic crimson energy blasted his attackers away, disintegrating those closest. As the dust cleared, Ravage's glowing yellow right eye pierced through the dust and smoke: his pupil having disappeared. His wounds healed, limbs and tails regrew and his clothing reformed itself. All of his white fur spiked up and stiffened; his orange skin morphed into a red chitin-like armor, like that of his right arm, his ears pointed straight up and the tips of his tails gained an extra, smaller tip, beneath the original large ones. Crimson sparks also zapped around his entire body as a blood red aura flickered over him sporadically. This was Ravage's hidden transformation, his only transformation... this was his devil form: his 'Demon Burst' as he nicknamed the transformation.

"How... how has he...?"

"I thought we killed it!"

"We... we're all going to die..."

"Impossible!"

"We're all screwed..." Devil Ravage grinned, revealing his razor sharp teeth, each one now like a fang, as one of his attackers gulped and the rest freaked out. Ravage was going to take his time with them... and Ravage's memory faded, he was about to finish the version of the event he was telling Team RWBY and so his recollection came to an abrupt end.


	13. Day 2: Further Recollection

"And so with a little pep-talk from my grandfather I got back in the fight: ignoring the injury to my eye..." Ravage was still telling a simpler, cleaner version of the event to Team RWBY as they walked along.

"Wait, how'd your granddad get there?" Ruby scratched her head kn confusion.

"My grandfather is always with me." Ravage pointed to his right arm. It's yellow flesh glowed for a split second. "Believe me or not but his soul is in me."

"His soul? I didn't think souls could be 'preserved' after death. Actually I'd never think of such a thing to begin with." Blake questioned. Ravage nodded.

"It's a long story, and I've lost track of how many times I've said that now... but anyway, where was I?" Ravage wondered.

"You said you got back in the fight." Yang reminded the kitsune.

"Ah yes..." Ravage trailed off.

"What'd you do next?" Weiss inquired. Ravage thought back for a brief moment.

* * *

He remembered unleashing hellish wrath on his enemies as his friends went after the 'gem', which wasn't important to this specific retelling, the others had taken during the commotion. He remembered making fools out of the supposed knights after utterly brutalising their commander for stabbing him in the eye, the commander given tenfold the amount of pain he had delivered to the kitsune, his mind skimming through the following bloodshed he unleashed in his demonic form. He remembered stalking the last few mooks to the exit as they tried desperately to escape the room, having seen the primal carnage Ravage in his angered state had unleashed upon their comrades and friends. He remembered the fear in one knight's voice as he banged on the stone door: his allies on the other side desperately trying to get him out of there as Ravage pulled the others into the shadows, their screams echoing out as the last knight broke down into utter terror, banging and screaming louder.

"Get me out! Get me out! Please! I, I don't wanna die to this thing! Get me out!" He was pleading to get out of there, to be set free from his inevitable fate. Ravage recalled growling like a wild beast as he descended from the shadows, dropping down from the ceiling as drool dripped down from his mouth and his pupiless yellow right eye cut through the darkness. He sent his central tail flying at the knight, its tip stabbing straight through the knight's chest who screamed in agony. Ravage remembered pulling him into the shadows as the stone doors opened up. The knights who had tried in vain to rescue their friend only heard the cracking and snapping of bones followed by another growl. Ravage's right eye shone bright in the dark, staring straight at them.

"Close the door! Close the door!" The knights scrambled about as Ravage rushed forward on all fours. The stone doors slammed shut but Ravage burst straight through them almost immediately after, sending debris flying everywhere. They'd made a monster out of him, a monster they had gotten... no a devil. Ravage remembered raising up and giving the remaining knights a death glare as fire engulfed him. They would burn, he had enough of 'games' at that point.

* * *

"Well it certainly wasn't pretty..." Ravage continued his story, answering Weiss. "I'll spare you the details of course but I did soundly make short work of the guy and his mooks... the injuries they gave me weren't really the issue, it was the more the fact they were standing in the way of family matters and were purposely going out of their way, left, right and centre to do so. The fact they weren't nice folks to begin with, that's another story altogether, only added fuel to the fire. I think one or two of them got away though." He rubbed his chin. "But whatever they reported afterwards and the loss of such an important soldier evidently struck nerves and made them step up their game afterwards. Coincidently I of course got more serious with them from then on. But again, another story."

"So what happened after? How'd you get the bandanna?" Ruby inquired.

"Good question. I recall actually fainting through a combination of the stress, pain and my drained stamina." Ravage replied. "I was taken back to a nearby village by my friends, and although I'd healed up pretty much everything on my own I was given a little medical attention just to be sure, mostly because of the blade shard still stuck in my left eye. Nasty I know." Ravage chuckled soon after.

"Sounds horrifying." Weiss shivered at the thought.

"That is pretty nasty, glad you're giving us the censored and abridged runthrough." Yang interjected.

"Well anyway I was going to remove the shard, and of course I did eventually, but until I had the time to spare, I was in a rush, I was given this bandanna by the one of my friends, who had stayed with me as the others went to try and get the 'gem' that I needed back on their own. Sadly they were unsuccessful and so we all regrouped and set out again to complete our quest. Sorry if this retelling wasn't everything you were hoping to get but I don't feel comfortable divulging every detail about the event, mostly because there's a lot of stuff you're all in the dark on that factors into the event and I also don't wanna ruin your appetites. War is hell after all." Ravage continued. The others nodded. "But I digress. I've kept the bandanna ever since, even with my eye fine again. It's like a symbol for me now." He went on. "It's a reminder to always strive to be the best. It's a reminder of my old friends and the support we all gave one another. But most importantly it's a reminder I'll always put family above all else, even my own wellbeing."

"I think I understand." Blake responded. "A little. You wear it to show you're not afraid of losing parts of, or yourself entirely, if it means those you care about will be helped in one way or another."

"Well... that and I think it makes me look cooler." Ravage shrugged with a smirk. "See, even at my darkest I'm not all doom and gloom, still thinking about my style even back then." He laughed a little.

"Only somebody as eccentric as you would admit to something like that." Ruby chuckled.

"I really am becoming transparent to you." Ravage shrugged again and chuckled back. "Where are we going by the way?"

"Uhh... good question..." Ruby muttered. The group stopped. "Anybody got any ideas? No?"

"I think we were all too busy listening to the story to consider where we're going..." Weiss admitted.

"Well, how about we go find Jaune and the others? Introduce them to Ravage." Yang questioned.

"Ooh, new people." Ravage rubbed his hands together. "That's always fun."

"To find the others we go then!" Ruby pointed forward.


	14. Day 2: A Lighter Memory

"So ya got more cheerful stories?" Yang chuckled as the group walked along. Ravage nodded.

"I got plenty that are more upbeat in one way or another. Not really sunshine and rainbows, not my style, but I've got stories that aren't downers." The kitsune replied. "For instance the time I met the only counterpart of mine I know about."

"Counterpart?" Weiss inquired, raising a brow.

"He was a pretty stand-up guy... we got off on the wrong foot though. Still, lead to some fights before we settled our differences. I consider him a good friend now actually. Haven't seen him ages though, sure he's doing good though." Ravage responded to Weiss.

"Don't keep us in suspense." Yang smirked.

"Well, I was on one of my standard 'trips', my hobby as you know by now, and thought I'd look around to see what differing Gaias I could find." Ravage recalled, glancing upwards as he rubbed his chin with his left hand.

"I thought there was only one Gaia." Ruby interjected.

"Ah yes, for a good time there was until I 'fixed the place up' in a sense. I'll get to that story another time, it links heavily in to what I've already told you." Ravage replied. "Anyway, so there I was on this new Gaia, looking the place over..." He followed up.

* * *

A pair of navy blue sneakers with red decals and a red tongue patterd against the ground as their owner sprinted down a empty street, wind blowing through their white fur. They looked almost identical to Ravage, standing at 3 foot 3 with orange skin and spiky white fur, only they had numerous notable physical differences that separated the two. For one they lacked tails of any kind and both of their arms were normal; their eyes were also more rounded contrasting with Ravage's sharper eyes, and although their eyes were yellow the pupils were a bright blue to contrast with Ravage's deep red pupils, their ears were also shorter and not as pointy, with their domed head being a bit shorter and not ending in a sharp tip like Ravage's head, more rounded instead. They also lacked any fin-like spikes atop their head, the top of their head instead covered in fur with the fur at the front of their head spiking up and to their right, with multiple short locks over their forehead. This demon kitsune was outfitted in the aforementioned navy blue sneakers; knee-length brown shorts with red ends and patches at their hip pockets, separated with black trims, a blue belt with a golden buckle, a blue vest with the exterior of the stomach pockets in red, a red jacket with short sleeves and a hood with the sleeves, shoulders and shoulder blade region brown and separated by a black trim. They also wore black fingerless gloves on both hands with white tape wrapped around the top and palms of each. Holstered on their back was a single edged greatsword that looked like a heavily modified Großes Messer. Its hilt was painted crimson with the handguard rectangular and black. The blade itself was a shiny metallic color with its bladed edge painted white, it also appeared to have lines running horizontally across the blade: this was because the sword could actually extend to twice its length in combat for extra reach. As this tail-less kitsune ran along he failed to notice Ravage, stood atop the rooftops above: spying on him with an intense gaze.

* * *

"The moment I saw him I knew I could potentially have a great rival, and I was really curious as to how he came about, where he had came from." Ravage explained. "I would look into that soon, rather soon, but first I had to do a little 'clean-up' of the place."

"He sounds as cute as you." Ruby giggled.

"I don't think he'd take that well." Ravage admitted. "Well, anyway, turns out he was headed where I was..."

* * *

At the time Ravage was still up on the rooftops, though obviously having followed his counterpart and now atop a different building, looking down into the crowds with his hands on hips. His eyes and ears were focused on this mysterious look-a-like. The Ravage look-a-like was stood amongst the first row of a huge crowd gathered in the city centre, a pair of headphones on over his ears as he stood there with his arms folded, listening to his music, as he glanced around. He was waiting for someone and wasn't there for the festivities, they really didn't interest him. All he knew, and cared to know, was that it was some Order of knights, marching through the city with a lord of some kind from their order with them: spouting something about history and their religion. Sounded like mad ramblings to him, and so he continued to listen to his music.

"Neo." The Ravage look-a-like took his headphones off, leaving them at his neck as he looked to his right to see a 5 foot 5 woman with dark blue hair, parted mostly to her right with small, fur covered ears above her head, and light blue eyes standing beside him, smiling. She was dressed in a navy blue, shin-length dress with a black zipped up vest over it and black boots on her feet.

"Nekoji. I had almost thought you'd left me to suffer through this fairy tale stuff on my own." Neo was joking of course. Nekoji chuckled lightly.

"You're obviously not too bothered, if you left training to come here." She noted his greatsword. Neo looked away.

"The simulations are no fun anyway, and the city guard aren't sending out patrols today. I got nothing better to do."

"You always have been a bad liar." Nekoji shrugged and smirked.

"I... I, uh... eh, why should you have to suffer through all of this alone. I'll try and stomach it for a while." Neo sighed.

"You're too kind." Nekoji teased him, rubbing his right ear. Neo looked away in embarrassment.

"I know..." He begrudgingly muttered.

* * *

"So I continued to wait there until the time was right." Ravage went on, explaining the story. "It was obviously not going to go smoothly, I could already tell."

* * *

"For as long as we can remember, the legend of the kitsune prodigy Raine has been long revered by those who cheerish the freedom and peace we have been granted. She took up her sword in the name of liberation, liberation from the vile empire that plauged our world long ago... the empire that, although their name is lost to us, we know challenged the freedom of all sentiant life on our world, be it human; kitsune, or any other race. But this was of course so long ago... I fear many may now disregard the legitimacy of the tale, they may doubt Raine's existence and her sacrifices for our world. For everyone..."

"Urghh..." Neo rubbed his eyes as he groaned. He turned to leave.

"Neo, are you done already?" Nekoji asked.

"Sorry, all this preaching is putting me to sleep. I guess the simulations aren't so bad." Neo replied.

"Let us pray for their souls." The knight lord clasped his hands together, closing his eyes and the wind blew through his swept back jet-black hair. Ravage dropped down from the sky, landing in front of him wigh his sword drawn from its sheath. The lord opened his eyes, revealing his hazel pupils. Ravage twirled his sword around in his right hand. The crowd stared on in shock and wonder as Ravage sheathed the blade in front of himself.

"Same old Order. Ruses and all. Guess this Gaia ain't so different..." Ravage mumbled as the man was cut in half, his torso disconnecting from his legs. "But you're just one of many I'll have to go through..." Ravage turned around to face the crowds.

"What the...?" Neo muttered, clenching his fists.

"We must avenge Lord Igna!" The knights charged Ravage, each one drawing their swords. The kitsune smirked and narrowed his right eye, preparing to draw his sword from its scabbard as they rushed at him all at once.

* * *

"Well, you can all guess how that went." Ravage quipped.

"Blindly rushing in is a fool's tactic." Blake sighed.

"Ehh, sometimes it works... sometimes." Ravage shrugged. "Well, the next thing I know is..."

* * *

Nekoji was knocked to the ground by the corpse of a guard after Ravage flung it away, grunting in pain as she pushed herself back up. She had rushed back to a help a fear-stricken child snap out of it and get running before she was knocked to the ground. As Ravage crushed the helmet and head of another knight in, he looked over his left shoulder to the woman. She looked up and saw Ravage staring at her as he threw the guard he had just ended away, sending that one into a lamp post.

"Huh?" Ravage wondered what she was doing there.

"ARGH!" Ravage looked up only to be sent flying immediately after when Neo dropkicked him in the face, launching him into the air. Neo backflipped and as he skidded backwards to a halt, pulled out a quadrupled barreled handgun from his jacket with his left hand. He fired off a volley of magic-infused bullets, each one leaving behind a cyan trail. Ravage recovered and batted each one away with his sheathed sword before backflipping onto a balcony. Neo launched himself into the air and went to dive-kick Ravage that time around, only for Ravage to jump safely to the side. Neo drew his quadrupled barreled handgun again and pointed it at Ravage's face after landing on the balcony. A summoned sword was already floating by Ravage's left side. Ravage smirked.

"Neo, I'll go get help!" Nekoji called out from below.

"Thank you, brave warrior!" A knight added. "We shall return with reinforcements! Stall him until then!" The knight and Nekoji turn and ran off. Neo frowned.

"It'll be over before that..." Neo flicked his head to his left and sent his headphones flying as he fired off his handgun. Ravage sent his summoned sword to counter the bullets and then kicked Neo in the side of the head, knocking him off of the balcony. Ravage leapt after him. Neo recovered and after dodging another summoned sword, grabbed Ravage by wrapping his legs around his waist as Ravage flew at him, proceeding to headbutt him before Ravage punched him in the face and knocked him away. Both landed back down on the ground, Neo skidding to a halt. "You have a jacked up notion of fair play, pal, and it's starting to piss me off." Neo narrowed his eyes.

"You got jokes, kid." Ravage chuckled.

"And here I thought the cat had your tongue." Neo scoffed.

"Clearly doesn't have yours." That could've been taken two ways. Neo growled and fired off a few more shots, which Ravage effortlessly dodged and also backhanded the last one away, before spinning his handgun around as he pulled his sword off of his back.

"What's the point of that sword if you ain't gonna use it now?" Neo put his handgun back inside his jacket and pointed his greatsword at Ravage. Ravage cracked his knuckles.

"Who says I need to?" Ravage ran his right hand through his head fur.

"You won't be so cocky when I shove this blade up your ass." Neo twirled his greatsword around before thrusting it forward and dashing straight for Ravage. Ravage jumped back from the thrust, sidestepped the first swing and ducked under the 2nd before jumping over Neo and resting his sheathed katana over his left shoulder. Neo turned to face Ravage as he turned back as well.

"Alright... let's play." Ravage grinned, getting into a ready stance. A bit of blood trailed down from his right cheek before the wound healed up: Neo had actually hit him with his 2nd attack.


	15. Day 2: Exceed

Neo and Ravage clashed, greatsword against katana: sparks flying as they struggled to overpower one another. Neo growled as Ravage narrowed his right eye. Ravage smirked a little. Neo jumped back and twirled his sword around before wrapping both of his hands around its hilt and holding it towards Ravage. Ravage held his right arm out to the side, pointing his katana away, he then pulled it back and held it next to the left side of his face with the blade towards Neo.

"Who are you? Why do you look like me?" Neo questioned as the two stared down.

"You shouldn't be the one asking that." Ravage chuckled and shuck his head. Neo narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, jumping up and going in with a downwards thrust. Ravage parried the attack before twirling around and resheathing his katana by his left side as Neo skidded backwards. Ravage drew his sword and multiple glowing blue slices appeared around Neo.

"Huh?" Neo quickly jumped up and avoided the dimensional slices as they shattered and Ravage resheathed his sword again. Neo drew his handgun and fired it at him so fast that the shots kept him in the air. Ravage jumped back from the first few shots before drawing his sword and spinning it around in front of him fast enough to deflect the bullets. Neo landed back on the ground and Ravage ran his katana over the ground in front of him, revealing he had caught six bullets on the blade. With a flick of his sword, Ravage sent them all flying back at Neo: who sliced all of them in half as they lined up whilst flying towards him, the halves flying past the kitsune on both of his sides.

"Not bad, kid." Ravage smiled, preparing to draw his sword again. Neo growled as his greatsword began to pulse red. He swung it with one hand and sent a crimson sword beam flying at Ravage, who effortlessly sliced through it and then sent a blue sword beam of his own towards Neo. Neo jumped over the blast and narrowly blocked Ravage's dashing attack. Neo knocked him back and thrusted his sword straight towards Ravage, before rapidly stabbing him with blinding speed and then knocking him away with an upwards swing. Ravage flew back and tumbled along the ground as Neo rested his sword on his right shoulder. Ravage jumped straight back onto his feet and grinned.

"Tough guy, huh?" Neo rubbed the underside of his nose with his left index finger. He took his greatsword off of his shoulder and held it out to his side, blade angled towards the ground. Neo and Ravage suddenly leapt into the sky, Neo getting the first hit in and kicking Ravage in the gut: sending him flying towards a bench. The bench skidded back as Ravage landed on it, sitting back as it came to a halt and nudged the disarrayed benches behind it. Ravage leaned forward and smirked. He jumped into the air, knocking all of the benches up into the air upon launch, and flew at Neo. Neo jumped up immediately after and the two clashed swords in mid-air before flying past one another. As Ravage landed back on the ground he sheathed his katana in front of his face before resting it on his left shoulder. He turned back around to see Neo sat atop the pile of benches that had been created: sat upon the one bench at the very top that was barely balancing atop the rest, swaying a little from side to side. "Guess I have to take you down a couple of notches." Neo muttered, resting his sword on his right shoulder again.

"Whatever you say, kid." Ravage smirked, taking a couple of steps forward as he held his right arm out to the side. He summoned the spectral arm from his demon arm, which grabbed a dead knight and then flung the corpse at Neo. Neo jumped into the air, avoiding the body which then crashed into the bench pile bringing it all tumbling down. Neo landed behind Ravage and the two were now stood back to back. "What's a matter? Don't you have a cool arm like mine as well? I mean, you're not exactly going all-in on the cosplay here." Ravage ducked under Neo's twirling spin attack and then used a sweep kick to knock him off balance before sending him tumbling along the ground with a swing of his sheathed katana. Neo backflipped back onto his feet and held his great sword in a reverse-grip in his right hand. Ravage tapped his foot on the ground and smirked.

"Alright, you got a trick up your sleeve..." Neo narrowed his eyes. "I have a few myself." His greatsword's blade suddenly extended, separating and stretching out where the horizontal lines were along the blade. Now Neo had to hold the sword with two hands.

"It's not about size, it's how you use it." Ravage taunted. Electric sparks were suddenly discharged from the greatsword as it also momentarily caught fire. Neo smirked and reverted the sword to its regular mode, sparks and flames disappearing before the blade retracted, he could hold the sword in one hand again. "Well... that actually is pretty cool. Bombastic, excessive but cool. I can dig it." Ravage muttered, his right eye widened.

"Designed and forged the weapon myself. My gun too." Neo informed, holding the blade towards Ravage.

"I could never have guessed..." Ravage remarked. Neo frowned and rushed Ravage, who jumped back and quick-drew his katana: blades locking. Both pulled their weapons back and Ravage went in with an upwards strike as Neo swung his sword down, both attacks parrying the other. Neo jumped over Ravage's follow up horizontal cut and kicked the kitsune in the face before hitting him head-on with a sword beam: sending Ravage crashing through a lamp post and flying towards another. Ravage managed to recover in time and grabbed ahold of the pole and used it to shoot himself back at Neo: swinging around it as Neo drew his gun and fired off a few shots at Ravage. Ravage used his summoned swords to counter each bullet before drawing his katana mid-flight and striking Neo before he could counter: following up with two strikes from his scabbard followed by a rising sword strike that lifted both of them into the air. Neo recovered in time to block Ravage's next strike and knocked him away with a swing of his greatsword. Ravage flipped backwards and skidded along the ground, digging his right hand's claws into the ground to halt his momentum. Neo had already landed and with a thrust of his sword was dashing at Ravage. Neo's attack hit and sent Ravage flying back once again. Ravage tumbled backwards but soon got back on his feet and holstered his katana on his back. He cracked his knuckles. "Alright, let's dance." An aura of flames and bio-electricity engulfed him.

"What?" Neo exclaimed. Ravage was already sprinting at him. Neo jumped back from the first attack, an uppercut, but was then hit with a right hook to the face; followed by a left hook, a 2nd right, another left and then a rising uppercut. Ravage jumped up after Neo and hit him repeatedly with a pinwheel kick before knocking him away with a straight kick to the gut, winding him. As Neo stumbled back onto his feet Ravage reappeared in front of him. Neo growled and swung at him, his sword momentarily extending. Nothing. It was an afterimage. Neo's eyes widened as his sword reverted to normal again. "Gah!" Ravage kneed him in the back before sending him flying forward with a spinning kick. Ravage cracked his neck from side to side as Neo dug his sword into the ground and slowly pushed himself back up. Neo looked up and glared at Ravage, his pupils flashing blood red before turning back to their regular blue immediately after.

"Hmm... it seems you also have de..." Ravage was cut off by Neo rushing him and swinging his greatsword at him with one mighty swing: the blade catching fire and sparking with electricity as Neo swung it. Ravage narrowly dodged and safely landed a few feet away. "Huh..." He pulled his katana off of his back as his aura faded.

"Alright then..." Neo grabbed his wireless headphones off of the ground, flicking the volume up to max and putting them around his neck. "Let's rock!" He moved in the blink of an eye and kneed Ravage in the gut before knocking him away with a 360 sword spin: holstering his greatsword on his back as his music kicked in and he skidded to a halt, playing air guitar. Ravage stumbled to his feet, shuck his head and looked over to Neo to see him rocking out as his music flared from his headphones. Ravage could pick it up with his ears but wasn't that interested in it right now.

"Bring it all! The time has come! I'm dealing the justice that dwells in me!"

"Well... you got some style, kid..." Ravage shrugged, actually a bit taken back by what he was seeing.

"Kid, huh?" Neo smirked, quickly pulling his greatsword off of his back and pointing it at Ravage with his right hand as his music continued to blast out from his headphones. "You'll blush a pretty pink when I kick your ass." He dashed forward. Ravage blocked his blade with his demon arm.

"Not my color. Now... let's get dangerous." Ravage was then knocked back by Neo, taking him by surprise. Neo quickly pulled out his quadruple barreled handgun and blasted Ravage in the face with a charged shot: four bullets flying forward in a corkscrew fashion as they left behind an intense energy trail.

"Pretty pink..." Neo muttered, rushing after Ravage. Ravage jumped back onto his feet and narrowly dodged out of the way of Neo's leaping downwards strike. Ravage dashed back to Neo and delivered a powerful right hook to his left cheek followed by a slice to the chest that sent Neo tumbling backwards. Neo jumped back onto his feet after tumbling for a bit and ran to meet Ravage head-on: the two clashing swords, the ground cracking up around them as their blades met. Ravage and Neo headbutted one another simultaneously as sparks flew between their locked blades. Neo growled and Ravage smirked.

"Ahh, tuesdays." Ravage chuckled. "Nice music by the way." He kicked Neo back and then blasted him into the air with a barrage of summoned swords, juggling him before he summoned his demon arm's spectral copy and pulled Neo back, swung him overhead and then slammed him into the ground: Neo bouncing straight back up as Ravage went to draw his sword.

"Grr..." Neo shuck his head and fired off a couple of shots from his handgun, which Ravage dashed inbetween as he chased after Neo. Neo put his greatsword into exceed mode, the blade extending, as Ravage leapt into the air and drew his katana from its scabbard. Neo cut straight through Ravage's sword beam with his extended greatsword and then ignited the edge of the blade in flames as electricity was discharged from the sword: hitting Ravage directly with the swing and knocking him back down to the ground. Neo landed safely and reverted his sword to normal as Ravage fired a volley of summoned swords at him. Neo jumped and dashed out of the way of each one before making his way to Ravage again. Ravage blocked his first few strikes before knocking him back with the butt of his katana's hilt, jumping back afterwards and drawing his sword to counter Neo's dashing thrust. The blades parried one another perfectly. "This is for hurting Nekoji." Neo twirled his sword around before thrusting forward once again. Ravage effortlessly dodged the attack this time and roundhouse kicked Neo in the back of the head. Neo tumbled forward before digging his sword into the ground and forcing himself to a halt.

"That was just sloppy." Ravage sighed. Neo dashed straight back faster than Ravage had anticipated and this time landed his thrust attack: blade going into exceed mode as Neo ran Ravage through. "This really is tuesday." Ravage looked down at the greatsword through his chest. Neo's eyes widened.

"Should've expected that." Neo muttered, he was quick to remove his sword from Ravage's chest and jump back before Ravage could in turn run him through with his katana. Neo followed up by blasting Ravage with a sword beam, which only knocked Ravage back a little as he blocked at the last second. Ravage lowered his arms and chuckled before dashing forward as he drew his blade. Neo twirled his sword around before resting it on his right shoulder and then running forward to challenge Ravage's attack. Neo then swung his blade the moment Ravage drew his sword and once again both attacks countered one another. Both kitsunes continued this back and forth, trading blows as they jumped around from spot to spot, perfectly parrying each other's attacks with their own until one particularly powerful clash that sent out a shockwave around the two and then knocked them far back from one another. Ravage sheathed his katana and Neo held his greatsword in reverse, flipping it around in his right hand. They both began to ran, Ravage to his left and Neo to his right: going in a circle. Ravage fired off summoned sword after summoned sword as he ran whilst Neo repeatedly shot at Ravage with his handgun as he ran. Both bullets and spectral swords clashed with and countered each other as Ravage and Neo continued to run in a circle. Both then stopped firing and jumped and skidded backwards to a halt: now facing each other as Neo flipped his greatsword around once again. Neo lifted his greatsword off of his right shoulder and swung it once, sending a sword beam raging towards Ravage. Ravage twirled his sheathed katana around before holding it by his side and then quick-drawing it soon after, sending his own sword beam forward to counter Neo's attack. The two blasts clashed and exploded inbetween Neo and Ravage.

"Now I'm motivated..." Ravage ran his right hand through his head fur before six summoned swords appeared around his body, spinning around his waist with the blades pointing outwards. Neo frowned and rested his greatsword on his shoulder again. The distant sound of shouting and footsteps alerted Ravage, then caught Neo's attention. "Damn it." Ravage muttered. Neo was shocked to see the summoned swords were now spinning around him: blades pointed inwards. He leapt up into the air just as they shot forward, colliding and exploding beneath him. Neo landed back down safely afterwards. "I must admit, I underestimated you a little." Ravage was stood behind Neo. Neo turned around but he was already gone. "But we were both essentially just playing around here." Neo looked back to see Ravage stood atop a rooftop, looking down upon him.

"Hey!" Neo drew his handgun and fired a quick round off. He hit nothing, Ravage was gone.

"See ya around, kid." Ravage quickly leaned back into view before disappearing as quickly as he appeared. Neo growled znd twirled his handgun around his left index finger before putting it back away inside his jacket again.

"Just who the hell was that guy?" Neo muttered, narrowing his eyes. A chill ran down his spine and his glare intensified. "Argh..." Neo turned and started walking away. "I ain't got time for this." He muttered to himself.


	16. Day 2: Raine

"And that was how I first met Neo." Ravage capped off. "He's a cool kid, let his emotions flare a bit too easily but teens will be teens." He added. "We had quite the adventure, of course it took us a while to co-operate: mostly my fault because I was intent on learning more about him, mostly his power and origins. I'm supposed to be one of a kind after all."

"What happened to him?" Ruby asked.

"He got his happy ending." Ravage smiled. "Ended up saving the world, took a load off my back that did, and he got the girl. They're happy. Of course that's the abridged version but the ending was wearing fairy tale tropes like damn medals. Too cheesy for my taste but I ain't gonna complain, saved me a bit of effort: I could just sit back and relax throughout that entire thing. Well, 'sit back and relax' by my standards."

"That's sweet though." Ruby chuckled.

"Almost sickingly so." Ravage joked, chuckling back.

"What about you, Ravage? You have someone special like Neo does?" Yang inquired.

"I have my mom..." Ravage shrugged. "I don't need or have interest in anything or anybody else. Besides, it'd be weird. I may be physically young, more than you'd believe, but I'm actually older than you'd also believe. It was something that weirded me out about Neo, he looked practically like me in a lot of ways and wasn't visibly older but yet he was actually about 19, in human years, back then. Eh, you learn not to question these things..." Ravage trailed off. "Hurts the head if you think about it." He rubbed his forehead as he spoke.

"Hey, it's Jaune." Ruby pointed out that the Team JNPR leader was ahead of them.

"Oh, a friend of yours." Ravage noted. "This'll be interesting." He smiled.

"Jaune!" Ruby called out.

"Huh?" Jaune turned around. "Oh hi R... gah! The hell is that?!" Jaune jumped back in fright, eyes widened as he saw Ravage with Team RWBY. Ravage chuckled and gave a peace sign, putting his right hand on his hip as he did so.

"Howdy." Ravage greeted. Jaune fainted. Ruby and Yang gave blank stares as Blake and Weiss facepalmed. "I like this one already. He's the comedic relief isn't he?" Ravage looked back and forth between Team RWBY.

* * *

The nine-tailed woman stood on the main avenue leading up to Beacon Academy, the sun still hanging up in the sky above as she looked over the large statue and fountain of a huntsman and huntress standing atop a rock, beneath which a beowolf cowered. She slightly tilted her head sideways, her fox ears twitching a little as she did so. It was a nice statue. She should look into getting some more statues of her own design implemented into her back garden sometime, the woman thought to herself.

"I like this place... classy." She smirked and walked forward, going around the statue and heading towards the academy itself.

* * *

Ravage was sat at a large round table with Team RWBY and Team JNPR in the library, sat back with his feet up and head resting in his arms as his three tails hung off the right side of his chair... which he had raised up slightly by putting books under each chair leg, so he could be eye-level with everyone.

"So how have you been finding Vale?" Pyrrha asked the little kitsune.

"Pretty nice place, I haven't been everywhere of course but I'm enjoying my stay." Ravage answered. "It's got a good look going for it. Food ain't half bad either, half of the reason I'm here after all." He added.

"I can vouch for that." Nora grinned. "Nothing quite like a good meal before or after a battle."

"I like your thinking." Ravage looked over to Nora and gave a thumbs up. Just then he felt a calm warmth run through him, he sensed a familiar presence: a presence that instantly put him completely at ease, as if he was in his own home. He smiled and sat up. "She's here... I wonder why..." Ravage muttered with his smile remaining all the while as jumped out of his seat.

"Huh?" Ruby scratched her head. Ren and Nora shrugged at one another as Pyrrha raised a brow and Weiss, Blake and Yang looked back and forth between each other.

"Wait, who is here...?" Jaune asked with a mild sense of apprehension. Ravage was still a sight he was adjusting to. Ravage looked back to Jaune, his gentle smile still on his face.

"My mom." The kitsune answered.

* * *

Ravage walked out into the courtyard just before the main avenue, having opened the double doors by placing his left hand in the centre and summoning forth two clawed hands with fiery arms, the spectral flames resembling fur. The doors had flung open, the spectral fiery arms faded and Ravage walked out to see his mother waiting for him: Team RWBY and JNPR following close behind the little demon kitsune. The nine-tailed woman with flowing fire-red hair and fox ears turned around and smiled, the wind blowing her hair and longcoat to her left as she rested her left hand on her sheathed katana. Ravage smiled back.

"Mother." Ravage muttered, looking up to the woman.

"Huh?" Everyone else was left confused. Could that really be his mother? She actually looked decently normal by their standards, she could've passed for a Faunus if it wasn't for the multiple tails, though Blake did sense something vastly different about her woman opened her arms. Ravage instantly jumped up and engaged his mother in a hug, the left side of his muzzle rubbing against her right cheek as she held her son up and cuddled him: stroking his head fur with her left hand before rubbing his ears. It was a genuinely heartwarming sight, and a mildly humorous one to see Ravage act like such a softie: a real little kid in their mother's arms as he cuddled with her and they laughed gently together. All of Team RWBY and JNPR's questions were forgotten upon seeing this.

"Aww... he lets his mom pet him..." Ruby sighed in defeat.

"Wow... like that he looks so... innocent and..." Weiss trailed.

"Cute...?" Blake turned and raised her left brow.

"Yeah... even with all his spikes and rough fur." Weiss replied.

"Are you implying he isn't always cute and cuddly?" Ruby shot Weiss a glare. Weiss' eyes widened.

"He does seem very different though..." Yang smiled and folded her arms. "Like a little baby." She chuckled to herself.

"Are none of you questioning how they could be mother and son? I mean..." Jaune looked over to Team RWBY, snapping out of his confusion and curiosity. Team RWBY and the rest of JNPR looked to Jaune. Their questions regarding that did come back.

"Actually..." Ruby rubbed her chin, pondering the subject. Ravage's mother put Ravage down before rubbing his head one last time, Ravage chuckling before running his left hand through his hair and putting his white fur back in its place.

"I see you've made some friends already." The woman looked over to Team RWBY and Team JNPR. "Hello, I'm Raine." She introduced herself with a smirk.

"Hi!" Ruby was the first to return the greeting as she waved ecstatically to the kitsune. Raine smiled at the girl's bubblyness.


	17. Day 2: Meeting the Mother

"So why are you here, mother?" Ravage looked up to Raine, smiling. Raine looked down to her son and smiled back.

"I just came to drop by for a while, see how you're finding this little outing... I also needed to tell you that I'm going off on a trip myself soon so if you get home before I do, you'll know where I am. I'll tell you more later, it's not anything important." Raine informed Ravage. Ravage nodded. "This place seems nice though..." Raine turned her gaze back to Team RWBY and JNPR. "You all seem like good kids, how've you been? Have things gotten chaotic yet?" She chuckled softly.

"We're fine, ma'am." Blake took a half-bow.

"Things have actually been pretty normal around here." Yang replied. "Kinda disappointing really."

"Really? Ravage, I can't believe you've been so reserved." Raine looked back to her son. Ravage laughed before putting his arms behind his head.

"It's only day 2." He smiled. "Plus I've mostly been sampling the local cuisine and reading up on this place's history, oh and of course getting to know everybody."

"I see, going with the flow this time around." Raine replied to Ravage. "As long as you're enjoying yourself." She crouched down and booped his little black nose before rising back up and giggling. Ravage laughed and lowered his arms. "Well, what a crew... what are your names?" Raine looked over to the rest.

"I'm Ruby." Ruby smiled gleefully.

"Weiss." Weiss gave a little wave.

"Blake." Blake nodded.

"Yang." Yang gave a thumbs up.

"Eh, Jaune." Jaune rubbed the back of his head.

"Nora." Nora grinned.

"Pyrrha." Pyrrha smiled and waved.

"Ren." Ren took a half-bow.

"Those are some nice names." Raine smiled. "So I assume this is all your academy and you're not here for this tournament I heard about?" She inquired.

"That's right, ma'am." Yang nodded. "We all attend Beacon."

"You do all seem at home here." Raine nodded back. "I know me and Ravage certainly don't." She chuckled along with her son.

"You're certainly not an everyday sight..." Jaune admitted. "Well, you could be a Faunus for all we know... if you didn't have the, you know... multiple tails thing going on."

"Very true. If I wanted to I could hide my tails but I haven't done so in years, no need to really. It's already so simple to limit myself to say average human levels easily without locking my power away like that." Raine responded to Jaune.

"Your tails are a symbol of your power?" Nora scratched her head. Raine nodded.

"But Ravage said he was stronger." Ruby added.

"Indeed he is." Raine looked over to Ruby. "But our tails can also be a symbol of wisdom and age, not just power. There's several ways to gain them." She smiled at her son. "Whilst it is true Ravage is more powerful, he's of course not as old or wise as me."

"Rub it in, mom." Ravage smirked, looking away.

"So he only has three tails?" Blake asked.

"He may as well have." Raine shrugged. "He actually truly does have nine like me, because of his power, but he's locked them away since birth and only ever brought them out once in all of his life. He just prefers to never go all out, he can only ever reach what you'd consider 100% with three tails."

"Life isn't fun without challenge." Ravage interjected. "It'd drive me insane if I never had to try, there's actually no fun in steamrolling everything... well, lasting fun anyway." He admitted. "I always try to give my opponents some form of chance depending on the circumstance, It's just fairer and honorable like that."

"Do you share the same mentality, ma'am?" Blake inquired.

"Of course." Raine smiled. "No fun in an unfair fight... unless they have it coming."

"I really like these two." Yang looked to each of her teammates and smiled.

"Well, good thing I'm not one for sparring..." Jaune chuckled nervously. "I'd dread going up against either of you." Ravage raised his right brow.

"Strange..." He muttered.

"Huh?" Jaune gave him a curious look.

"I'm sensing a lot of power from you. Didn't think you'd be one to completely back down." Ravage informed him. Raine chuckled.

"Sounds like you're itching for a fight..." She looked down to Ravage. Yang and Nora smirked. "Well, why don't we put on a show?" Ravage turned round to his mother. Yang and Nora's smirks disappeared. "It has been a while since we sparred and of course I've always got free time for you."

"Really?" Ravage grinned. "Here? Right now?" Raine laughed. She patted Ravage on the head with her right hand.

"You think you get your penchent for showing off from thin air? We got a good crowd here." Raine replied. "Besides... might give them a few pointers if you do get to spar with them at a later point, only fair." Ravage and Raine chuckled together.

"Great." Ravage continued to grin. "I bet granddad will wanna join in as well."

"With father you may actually win this time." Raine taunted Ravage.

"Hey..." Ravage was cut off by Raine stroking his left ear.

"But even then, it's skill not power." She continued. Raine looked over to the rest. "So, who's up for a good fight show?"

"Hell yeah." Yang exclaimed, first to answer.

"Heheh... you guys can get front row seats... I might watch from somewhere... safer." Jaune rubbed the back of his head. Ravage and Raine burst into laughter.

"It's okay, I like the look of this place, I'll be careful." Ravage responded to Jaune.

"Same here." Raine followed up.

"Oh this is going to be totally awesome." Ruby muttered, smiling to herself.


	18. Day 2: One Winged Angel

"Hmm..." Raine rested her left hand on her sheathed katana's hilt butt, the wind blowing her fire-red hair and coat-tails to her right. "I guess I should start using this now." She mused. Ravage was stood across from her, a good five metres between them. Ravage moved his left foot behind his right and wrapped his right hand around his sheathed katana's hilt. The wind blew his bandanna tail-ends to his left.

"Have you been going at things unarmed?" Ravage inquired. Raine smirked.

"No, I've just been trying out my new weapon set..." She answered. Ravage raised his right brow. With a flash of white light, Raine's Grimm gauntlets and greaves appeared over her forearms and legs respectively. Raine looked her right gauntlet over with a smile before clenching her hand into a fist. "They seemingly didn't have souls..." She muttered. "So I used their essence instead." Raine looked back over to her son. "I haven't had gauntlets and greaves in ages, thought it'd make a nice change of pace." She added.

* * *

"Those things look like they're made out of Grimm..." Weiss commented from the sidelines.

"Yeah..." Ruby studied the set. "But they look so cool as well, they're pulsing with power." She smiled.

"Ehh..." Yang folded her arms and looked off to the side.

* * *

"I see you gave them a stylish flare." Ravage mused, studying the gauntlets and greaves.

"I do my best with what I have to work with." Raine smirked. "Still getting in to the swing of things with them though, still working on a few techniques." She admitted.

"Well, I wanna see what you've got now." Ravage grinned.

"Of course." Raine assumed her fighting stance. Ravage readied himself. Without a word between them both Ravage and Raine blasted forward, dashing towards one another in the blink of an eye and leaving behind trails of afterimages as they rushed towards each other. Ravage spun 360 degrees whilst still moving forward and upon completing the spin drew his sword from its sheath. Raine jumped and flipped forward, going in with an axe kick. The tip of Ravage's katana and Raine's right heel clashed and upon the collision a concussive blast burst out, blowing the grass beneath them wildly around. Ravage grunted and was pushed back a little as Raine backflipped and landed gracefully in front of him. Ravage quickly resheathed his katana as its blade started to glow, a sword beam charging up, and Raine ran her right hand through her hair with a smirk. Ravage drew his sword with blinding speed and sent forth a sword beam. Raine folded her arms behind her back and flipped over the beam before landing besides Ravage and then sending him flying with a roundhouse kick to the right side of his head. Raine dashed after her son and swiftly reappeared in front of him as he recovered and skidded to a halt. Ravage looked up to see Raine standing there with her left arm pulled back, gauntlet pulsing with white light, as her right hand was to his face. Raine struck him with a one inch punch to the face with her right hand and as Ravage flew back she thrusted her left arm forward and sent a white orb of energy flying towards him: striking Ravage head-on and blasting him further back. Raine then pulled both of her arms back as her gauntlets flashed rapidly. Ravage flipped backwards and dug his sword into the ground. Raine began thrusting her arms forward in rapid succession, each thrust sending blast after blast flying towards Ravage: an entire volley raging towards him. "Dakka, dakka, dakka, dakka, dakka!" Raine chanted with a grin as she continued to release blast after blast from her gauntlets. Ravage sheathed his katana and holstered it on his back, walking forwards as the energy blast volley flew at him.

* * *

"Is he gonna dodge?" Blake questioned.

"Nope..." Ruby muttered.

* * *

Ravage was engulfed in an aura of flames and bio-electricity as he walked straight into the barrage of blasts. A blanket of smoke engulfed him as the first few seemingly hit him head-on, Raine continuing to fire blast after blast. The smoke was blown away as Ravage's aura flared up, revealing he was in fact either batting each blast up into the sky or crushing them in his hands as he walked forward. Raine continued to lay down the heat as Ravage kept on moving towards her.

"Arrgh!" Ravage's aura increased in ferocity, bio-electricity sparking around him frantically as his right eye's red pupil briefly glowed. His aura destroyed all of the remaining blasts as Raine ceased her attack. Ravage grinned. Raine chuckled and pointed behind him before disappearing from sight, leaving behind a brief afterimage. "Huh?" Ravage turned around to see a group of crimson spectral cutlesses pointed at him, hanging in the air. "A distraction." Ravage got ready to counter this next barrage when Raine reappeared behind him and kicked him in the back: sending him up towards her summoned swords.

"A double distraction." She smirked. Ravage flipped forward through the air as the summoned swords flew at him.

"Ahh!" He exclaimed as he flipped helplessly around repeatedly. He summoned a demonic rune in front of him and managed to land safely on it as if it was a wall, the rune blocking all of the summoned swords for him. "Hahah." Ravage leapt back off of the rune and flew at Raine with his right arm engulfed in flames. Raine raised her left and blocked the strike with just her index and middle finger combined as her right arm remained behind her back.

"Focus a bit more, son." Raine chuckled. She flicked Ravage on his forehead and sent him tumbling and grinding along the floor as she yawned.

"Grrgh..." Ravage grumbled and rolled his right eye as he stumbled to his feet. "Better power up just a bit... still too fast for me." He clenched his fists and held his arms at his sides as he began to raise his power level to a more even standing with his mom's current level. "Arrrgh... Arrrrgh! ARRRGGH!" Ravage yelled out as he powered up, the ground cracking around him as his aura went wild. Raine smiled and shuck her head.

"Show off..." She remarked.

* * *

"Ahh!" Jaune stumbled around along with the others. "Feels like the whole place is shaking."

"Awesome." Ruby smiled as she stumbled about.

* * *

"ARRRGGH!" Ravage grinned as he exclaimed, his fur waving in the wind created by his violent aura. Raine had seemingly fallen asleep on the spot, her head to the ground as she lightly snored. One particularly noticeable shake woke her.

"Huh?! What?! Gok... oh..." Raine looked around frantically before focusing on Ravage. Ravage stopped screaming and his aura calmed down. "You just felt like taking the noisy route didn't you?" Raine smirked. Ravage looked up from the ground and smirked straight back. He dashed forward and went in with a right hook, Raine barely jumping back in time to avoid it. Ravage followed up with a left, Raine barely blocking it with her right arm. Both jumped up and spun around before perfectly countering one another with straight kicks. They jumped back from one another before dashing straight back and clashing: grappling with each other, hands interlocked as they butted heads and chuckled. They were equal in power, neither one budging as they struggled. Raine lifted Ravage up overhead and slammed him onto the ground, going to kick him as he bounced back up. Ravage grabbed her foot as she did so and spun through the air with her before slamming Raine into the ground and backflipping away as she jumped onto her feet. Raine pulled back her left leg and then sent forth a crescent blast from her greave, which Ravage sliced apart with his tails as he skidded backwards on all fours, the blast pieces flying past him afterwards.

"Nice attack." Ravage complimented. "Razor sharp blast there..." Raine took a half-bow, holding her left arm out to the side as she put her right leg before her left. The blast pieces exploded behind Ravage as he stood up. A volley of spectral cutlesses appeared by Raine, four summoned swords on both of her sides. Ravage prepared himself. Without warning they disappeared from Raine's side and reappeared around Ravage, Raine ending her half-bow as Ravage jumped backwards as the summoned swords circled him. "Of course..." Ravage muttered, summoning his spectral katanas: the blue blades spinning around him with their blades pointed away. Raine reappeared right above Ravage and dive-kicked him in the face, knocking him back and sending his summoned swords shooting off prematurely. Raine clapped her hands together and her summoned swords flew at Ravage, each one impaling him as he was kept up in the air by the spectral blades. A red rose had appeared, grasped in Raine's mouth as crimson cutlass after crimson cutlass stuck into Ravage. "Oww, oww, oww..." Ravage sounded only mildly annoyed. Raine took the rose out of her mouth, turned around and threw it, over her shoulder, at Ravage as the last summoned sword impaled him. The rose made contact with the hilt butt of one of the summoned swords and immediately after all of them exploded. As the smoke cleared Ravage was revealed to be back on the ground and was brushing the dust off of his jacket.

* * *

"What?!" Jaune exclaimed.

* * *

"I somehow always end up in that one..." Ravage sighed, shaking his head. He cracked his neck from side to side. "Right... where was I?" He dodged Raine's axe kick as he spoke. He retaliated with a rising, flaming uppercut. "Ravryuken!" He followed up with a barrage of spinning kicks before sending Raine flying back with a torrent of electricity from his hands. Raine tumbled along the ground as Ravage landed safely back down and smirked. Raine came to a stop and pushed herself back onto her feet. Mother and son brushed their right hands through their hair and fur respectively in tandem.

"Getting better..." Raine smiled.

"Come on, mom... what's the point in bringing your sword if you ain't gonna use it?" Ravage's aura faded away. Raine looked down to her blade. Ravage took his katana off of his back. Raine chuckled.

"I suppose we're done warming up." Raine sighed.

"Grandpa is getting excited." Ravage informed his mother.

"I guess I'll give father some incentive to join in sooner..." Raine's Grimm gauntlets and greaves disappeared. She wrapped her right hand around her katana's hilt and smirked. Ravage grinned. Raine slowly drew the sword from its sheath. Its blade was long and slightly curved, exceptionally sharp and a deep crimson in color, little red sparks zapping around it as it shined in the sunlight. Ravage began to laugh with joy. Raine's eyes glowed briefly before flames erupted from her right shoulder blade as she held her katana out to the side, the flames forming and taking the shape of a single wing: an angelic wing made of flickering flames. _Estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine. Vulpes daemon, vulpes daemon, estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine. Diabolus clamor, angeli scream, diabolus clamor, angeli scream, estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine. Estuans interius ira vehementi, Raine, Raine._ She had quite literally gone one winged angel.

* * *

"I just got chills... this is pretty exciting." Yang muttered.

"She'd be an awesome video game boss..." Ruby grinned with glee.

"You have issues." Weiss turned and stared at Ruby.

* * *

"Demon Burst straight off the bat... you spoil me, mom." Ravage smiled.

"Heheh, maybe." Raine smiled back.

"Now I'm motivated. Let's get this thing started." Ravage grinned, assuming his battle stance and preparing to draw his katana from its sheath.


	19. Day 2: Two Become One

Raine stalked forward with her sword gripped firmly in her right hand as she held the blade out to the side as her fire-wing burned bright behind the crimson katana, her eyes glowing as her grim revealed one of her fangs. Ravage tightened his grip on the hilt of his sheathed katana as Raine slowly drew closer, one step at a time. Ravage narrowed his right eye and readied himself. Raine kept advancing. A cold wind blew past Ravage. He made his move, dashing forward and leaving behind a series of afterimages as he moved with lightning speed erratically towards Raine. Raine grinned. Ravage reappeared behind her and drew his sword whilst simultaneously unleashing a sword beam. Raine spun around, her fire-wing dispelling the sword beam with a simple backwards swipe as she used her sword to effortlessly parry Ravage's attack: knocking him off-balance and sending him skidding back a little. Raine simply flicked her sword in Ravage's direction and hit him head-on with asword beam of her own: sending him flying back. Ravage recovered and backflipped in time to land safely on the ground as Raine glided towards him at breakneck speed, spinning through the smoke in front of Ravage before going in with an upwards slice. Ravage narrowly blocked the strike with his katana's scabbard before retaliating with a quick swipe that Raine dodged with ease. Ravage jumped back and resheathed his sword before dashing straight back to Raine and quick-drawing the blade mid-dash. Raine simply dodged this attack as well, responding with a slash to Ravage's chest: followed by blasting him away with a sword beam launched immediately after from her blade. Ravage was sent flipping through the air, flying straight towards one of the stone columns of a colonnade. Raine slashed her sword twice in front of herself, in a X pattern, and sent two more sword beams after Ravage as he tumbled through the air. Ravage managed to recover in time to land safely on the side of the column, looking up to see the two sword beams flying at him. He raised his right arm and fired off a pair of yellow energy blasts from his open palm: destroying the sword beams. Raine flew through the smoke and Ravage quickly jumped up, avoiding her flying kick after she had flipped forward. Ravage began crawling up the column with great speed, his three tails flowing behind him as he ascended on all fours. Raine jumped off of the column and flew up after him, effortlessly overtaking him and then turning back around to fly back down and kick him off of the column. Ravage began to fall, tumbling towards the ground as Raine hovered in place with her fire-wing routinely flapping every now and again. Ravage shuck his head and flipped around, his feet now to the ground instead of his head as he fell, and then he drew his katana from its scabbard and stabbed it into the stone column: bringing himself to a stop. He swung around on the hilt before jumping onto the sword, perching on it as he looked up to see his mother smirking at him. Ravage smirked back.

"I've got a present for you..." Raine chuckled. A volley of summoned swords appeared above her, crimson cutlass after crimson cutlass warping into reality. The number kept on going up, spectral blade after spectral blade appearing. Ravage dropped down from his sword and grabbed its hilt with his right hand, pulling it out of the column and then flipping backwards, summoning a blue spectral copy into his left hand as he did so. He landed on the side of the column again began sprinting up it. "Have fun." Raine sent forth her summoned swords with a simple point towards her son. The volley flew down, raining down upon Ravage as a storm of blades. Ravage kept on sprinting upwards, picking up speed as he gripped his real and spectral katanas in both hands.

* * *

"How, how many...?!" Weiss exclaimed as she watched the sword volley fly at Ravage. "You're all seeing this, right?"

"Yep." Ruby grinned.

"I can barely keep track of Ravage, he's going too fast." Yang commented.

* * *

Ravage tightened his grip on his swords as the cutlasses flew at him. They reached him in the blink of an eye and Ravage began cutting and dodging his way through the barrage of blades. Those he didn't slice his way through, swiping his blades through them as he twirled and jumped around, he dodged: dashing and jumping around them. Raine smirked and summoned more spectral swords: this 2nd volley joining the first, raining down upon Ravage as he continued up the column. Ravage simply picked up his speed, leaving behind a stream of afterimages as he ran up the column: continuing to fight through the barrage. Ravage then leapt straight up, spinning forward in a corkscrew fashion with his swords pointed in front of him. Raine narrowly managed to dodge the attack, dashing backwards as Ravage flew up past her. Ravage flipped around and dashed straight back to Raine, hitting her with both blades as he flew past. Raine was stunned. Ravage created a demonic rune beneath his feet as he flipped forward and wall-jumped straight back off it, flying back and hitting Raine again. Rinse and repeat, Ravage continued to strike Raine from multiple directions: leaving behind a summoned sword of his own and a spectral blue copy of himself in each of his starting positions. Raine shuck her head after the seemingly last attack and looked around to see each one around her as Ravage hung up above: floating in mid-air with a fierce blue aura around him, his spectral copy of his katana now gone and leaving him with just his real katana.

* * *

"Look, he's confusing her with a bunch of afterimages so he can get the drop on her." Ruby commented.

"No..." Blake shuck her head. "Those aren't simple afterimages." The others looked to her.

* * *

"Haven't used this technique in ages." Ravage dashed straight back down and struck Raine with his katana as he passed. Then, one by one, the spectral copies of himself with their summoned swords dashed at Raine and struck her with their blades as well, fading away afterwards. Ravage jumped back up off another demonic rune and held his katana above his head as he flew up past his mother once more, grasping the blade in both hands as his blue aura attached itself to his sword and disappeared from around him. Raine looked up and smiled.

"That's my boy..." She complimented. Ravage swung his blade downwards and fell with it, catching his mother with the attack and flying down with her. Raine chuckled. They crashed into the ground and from the blade of Ravage's katana a blue explosion with a 30 metre radius raged out: creating a crater around the two as Ravage held Raine down with his sword.

* * *

Team RWBY and JNPR covered their faces as the shockwave from the blast rushed past them, dispelling after and the two teams lowering their arms as the dust settled.

"Now that's an explosive confrontation." Yang quipped.

"That was bad, and you should feel bad." Weiss muttered, shaking her head.

"Wait..." Blake studied the scene.

* * *

The smoke cleared around the crater, the dust settling and Ravage stood up, cracking his neck from side to side. Raine was gone. He sheathed his katana and looked up above to see Raine hovering in the sky, completely fine. She'd escaped just before the blast had ended.

"Good move. Keep this up." Raine smiled. Ravage chuckled and rubbed his nose.

"Oh, I may be in a spot of bother..." Ravage sighed. He quickly grabbed the hilt of his sheathed katana and leapt up into the air, drawing his blade as he reached Raine. Raine blocked the strike and the two struggled in mid-air with their blades locked, sparks flying between them. Raine dashed back and then immediately dashed forward again, striking Ravage with a flurry of lightning fast sword slices before roundhousing him in the back of the head and sending him flying back into the crater below. The blue sky was corrupted into a deep red, the white clouds warped to black.

* * *

"The hell?" Jaune muttered, looking up to the sky. Everyone looked up and gave a confused stare to the sky.

"I think Raine is giving us some theatrics..." Ruby scratched her head.

"It's unsettling." Jaune responded.

* * *

Ravage stumbled onto his feet only to be struck back down with a sword beam. Raine continued to send sword beam after sword beam into the crater, beating Ravage down. Raine held her left arm up into the air and the blackened clouds twirled around above her. She flicked her wrist and a large fireball came rushing out of the clouds, however it was only large enough to fit into the crater: Raine having made sure it wouldn't effect the rest of the area. She flew up into the sky and landed atop the fireball, standing upon it as it shot down towards the crater. Ravage shuck his head and stumbled back onto his feet yet again.

"Huh?" He looked up. Raine waved at him with a smile. "Now who's showing o..." The fireball crashed into the crater and a torrent of flames rushed up into the sky: the pillar of fire dispelling the darkened clouds and returning the sky to its natural state.

* * *

"And I've seen everything..." Jaune's jaw dropped.

"That was totally awesome!" Nora jumped up and down with joy. Ren sighed.

"It was awesome..." Ruby shrugged as the others stared at Nora.

* * *

Raine descended from the sky as the smoke cleared, setting down upon a body of fire in the crater, which had grown slightly larger thanks to the fireball. Raine twirled her katana around in her right hand as her fire-wing burned on and her flowing hair waved in the wind: the flames around her reflecting in her eyes as she smirked. Ravage pulled himself out of the ground, sitting up as he shuck the dirt off of himself and stretched his arms and cracked his neck from side to side again. That attack had done a number on him.

"Right..." Ravage pushed himself up, stumbling to his feet. Raine smiled. "Grandpa, let's have some fun."

'About time... I thought you were going to hog all of the fun for yourself.' His grandfather's deep, beastly voice rung through Ravage's head. 'Let's go!'

"Let's go!" Ravage and his grandfather spoke in union, the pupils in Ravage's eyes glowing intensely as a violent aura of crimson flames engulfed him: pure hellfire. This aura increased in size as Ravage clenched his fists and leaned forward, crouching slightly as he grated his teeth. Ravage thrusted his head up and roared as the flames around him leapt off of him and took the form of a giant 20 metre fox-beast with nine tails, giant claws on its hind paws and human-like hands and razor sharp teeth in its mouth with large pointy ears protruding from its head. The hellfire kitsune roared with Ravage. Ravage went on all fours and his grandfather's spirit matched him, mirroring his actions. Two became one, their souls linked together: a bond that's stronger than words.

"Hello father." Raine smiled. The hellfire kitsune smiled back.

* * *

"And I stand corrected..." Jaune's eyes widened. "Is, is this real life?"


	20. Day 2: Big Finale

Raine blocked Ravage's first strike, a leaping claw slash with his left hand, holding his claws back with her sword as her father's spirit mirrored Ravage's actions. Raine barely managed to dodge her father's attack, jumping back just in time as his claws swiped through the air and left a blazing trail behind them. Raine raised her sword again to block a combined strike from Ravage and her father, the two leaping forward before swiping their claws through the air in a X motion. Raine skidded back from the attack, grinding to a halt after digging her sword into the ground. Ravage and his grandfather roared up towards the sky. Raine pulled her katana out of the ground and smiled, twirling her blade around in front of her before she rested it on her right shoulder. Ravage and his grandfather looked back to Raine.

"Every time we fight..." Raine's father spoke up, grinning as he and his daughter stared down. "I am reminded of how much you've grown. You're not even trying."

"Father, give yourself a little credit." Raine chuckled.

"Humph." Her father shuck his head. "Ever the caring for my feelings. Well, I suppose Ravage does stand a chance now."

"Hey, right here, gramps." Ravage looked up to his grandfather. His grandfather and mother laughed.

"If you really doubt yourself that much, father, let me finish this quickly." Raine smirked. In an instant she dashed forward, leaving behind an afterimage.

"Hah, never without a fight will I go down. Come on Ravage, let's give it our all." Raine's father prepared himself. Ravage readied himself to pounce, the two in synch now. As Raine flew at them, her father thought quickly back to days long lost. He sensed Raine was reminiscing as well. Ravage was too focused on the fight at hand and didn't take heed, though he did wonder what he was going to have for dinner briefly.

* * *

It was so long ago, when Raine was comparatively but a lass and her father was alive and kicking. Ravage wasn't even close to being a thing at the time. No, this was a time long past and a life long lost. A winged beast soared through the darkened skies, roaring triumphantly as it raised a city to the ground. The beast with twin tails and four wings, two large and two small, came to perch upon a burning tower and roared towards the blackened skies. Its glowing blue eyes pulsing with power as it thrashed its head about. Its skin was rough and brown and its armored hide was pearl white, the plating smooth and thick. Thunder clapped in the distance, following a flash of lightning. The beast turned its head and looked towards the sudden disturbance. It had sensed a new presence, one with exceptional power. A younger Raine stood alone against the wyvern, the beast having been terrorising her home and fought her sick, at the time, and thus weakened father to a standstill. This younger Raine, her face was a little softer and her hair wasn't quite as long as her present self. She also lacked her nine tails, displaying only one. Her outfit was also largely the same, same kimono; longcoat, pants and boots but with a smooth iron pauldron, its black leather strap which kept it in place going under her right arm, from which a red sleeve covering her arm, to her wrist, hung from and around her waist was a 2nd black leather belt which held up a white piece of cloth which covered her left leg and reached to just above her ankle. The wyvern roared at the young Raine. Raine pulled her weapon from its black leather holster on her back: it was an advanced-looking one-sided broadsword with a intricately detailed, mechanical looking blade, a golden, bolted rectangular handgyard and a smooth hilt painted deep crimson. She twirled the 7 foot long sword around in front of her once before taking hold of the hilt with both hands and holding the blade out in front of her in a battle-ready stance. She winced for a second, a sharp pain in her left arm but she refused to dwell on it. The wyvern roared once again. Raine narrowed her eyes.

"I am lightning... the rain transformed." Lightning bolts struck down around Raine as her red pupils glowed for a brief moment as a fiery aura flickered over her. "I am fire... a burning fury." Yellow bio-electricity zapped around her as she slowly moved her left foot further back. The wyvern took to the skies and flew straight at Raine. Raine frowned before dashing forward, leaving behind sparks of bio-electricity and a fiery afterimage in her place. Raine dashed straight past a little kitsune kid, who was frozen in fear, and clashed with the wyvern before it reached him: her broadsword clashing against the winged beast's teeth as Raine pushed it back. She backflipped before blasting it in the face with a fireball from her left hand, knocking the beast back and sending it crashing through the tower it had previously perched upon. Raine landed safely back on the ground and looked over her right shoulder, motioning for the kid to move it before setting off after the beast. The wyvern burst out of the rubble and roared in anger before launching itself back into the air. Raine leapt up and jumped from flying rubble chunk to rubble chunk before reaching the wyvern and striking it on the head with a downwards strike. The beast growled andtried to bite Raine, but she flipped over the attack and landed on its left large wing. Raine jumped up before swinging her blade straight back down and unleashing a crimson sword beam that cut the wing straight off. The wyvern roared in pain before twirling around and hitting Raine head-on with its right tail: sending her flying into a building as the beast dropped back down to the ground to recover. As it landed Raine came flying out of the smoke and stabbed it straight in its left eye, the wyvern screeching in pain and thrashing wildly about. Raine pulled her broadsword straight back out and unleashed three successive strikes on the wyvern's head as it tried repeatedly to eat her, flying higher with each chomp as Raine struck it in return each time and launched herself up with each strike. Raine backflipped from the wyvern's next attack and then retaliated with a downwards thrust, but the wyvern caught her sword with its teeth and then flung Raine away with her sword whilst it continued to fly higher. Raine flipped through the air uncontrollably but managed to recover just in time to land safely on top of an exposed construction beam of a partially ruined building. She growled and looked up to see the wyvern flying higher and higher. She tightened her grip on her broadsword as she held it in her right hand, having landed on one knee with her left hand touching the beam she landed upon. Her eyes flashed in anger as flames briefly engulfed her. "I'm going to crush you." Raine growled, standing up and clenching her left fist. The wyvern began to charge up a massive fireball as it stop its ascent and focused on the town below. Raine twirled her sword around before leaping high up into the air, launching herself up to meet the wyvern head-on. As she flew higher up and the wyvern continued to charge its attack her father appeared to help her: having leapt up after her to assist her ascent. His fur was a deep orange and the tips of his tails, which he only had three of at the time, and his ears were pure white. His eyes' pupils were blood red like his daughters and a scar was over his left eye and cheek. He also indeed was naturally 20 metres in his beast form, his size as a spirit not an exaggeration. However he also had sickly green veins on his face at the time and looked rather frail. But he was still able to muster the strength to help Raine.

"End this thing quickly..." He threw Raine higher into the air with his right hand, beginning his fall back down immediately after. Raine picked up speed and a fiery aura engulfed her. The wyvern unleashed its attack at last, sending a giant fireball straight towards Raine, Raine narrowed her eyes and twirled her broadsword around above her as she flew up to counter the blast. Raine and the fireball collided, the kitsune slowly struggling through it with her broadsword as it clashed with her. She couldn't let it hit the town. Raine grated her teeth and pushed on. The wyvern sent forth a torrent of flames from its mouth, assisting the fireball. Raine grunted. She wasn't expecting that. The pain in her left arm returned and she felt herself slipping. Raine growled weakly. The fireball began to push her back down. Then her vision was obscured by a bright flash. What now? She saw a seemingly human hand reach out to her, she caught a brief glimpse of a familiar face. Her eyes widened. She reached out with her left hand. The two hands grabbed hold of one another.

'No giving up...' She heard a soothing voice whisper in her ear.

"Mother...?" Raine muttered. Her mother smiled at her. The vision disappeared. Raine was flying straight through the fireball now. She narrowed her eyes again and burst out of the other end of it, flying straight for the wyvern as the fireball exploded in mid-air beneath her. Raine flipped forward and landed on the wyvern's head, her broadsword impaled in the beast. She ran forward, pulling the blade through the wyvern's skull, neck and back before leaping off of the beast and letting it split in two as she leapt away through the sky. Her sword split apart into six different blades, with the largest remaining in her grasp. The five other blades shot off behind Raine and flew back towards the split wyvern. Each one zipped and rushed about, slicing through the two halves repeatedly, before returning to Raine who spun around to let them re-merge with the central blad: reforming the broadsword. The two halves of the wyvern split apart into numerous smaller pieces. Raine landed safely on the roof of a burning building as the wyvern chunks exploded in a blue flash of light. Raine twirled her broadsword around in front of her and then rested the huge blade upon her right shoulder. She looked up to the sky as the clouds began to disperse, the light shining down upon the burning town. A single tear ran down the side of her face, from her right eye. "Mother..." She closed her eyes and lowered her head, her voice a whisper. Her own flames engulfed Raine and she opened her eyes, her crimson pupils now glowing. Raine took her broadsword off of her shoulder and let the blade's tip rest against the roof. She looked back up to the now clear blue sky and let loose a scream filled with mourning and anger, her fiery aura flaring up as she unleashed her cry.

* * *

"AAAARRRGGGHHH!" Raine leapt over her father's left-hand claw swipe and sliced through his spirit with her katana. She then burst out of his back and landed on the side of a stone column, sheathed her sword back in its scabbard and launched herself back towards her father's spirit. Raine drew her katana mid-flight but Ravage caught her off-guard with a double kick to her gut from beneath, followed up by a a roundhouse to her back that sent Raine flying towards Ravage's grandfather uncontrollably. Raine's father turned around and punched her with his right fist back towards Ravage who capitalised on the opportunity by unleashing a furious combo of rapid claw strikes upon her: dashing around Raine as he chain-comboed her in mid-air with swipe after swipe before finishing off with a whirlwind kick to her face. Raine's father jumped into the air and then slammed Raine down into the ground with both hands, landing back down afterwards and rejoining with Ravage: reappearing behind his grandson. The two let out a joined roar before Raine burst out of the centre of the crater they had been fighting in a flew up into the air with the help of her fire-wing. "Let's see if you can keep up." Raine smiled as she conjured summon sword after summon sword around Ravage and her father's spirit, the two almost immediately surrounded by a dome of countless glowing spectral cutlasses. Ravage and his grandfather now stood back to back, Ravage back on just his legs as his grandfather stood upright himself, though his legs were still in a digitigrade position.

"Ready?" Ravage's grandfather asked his grandson, looking over his left shoulder. Ravage looked back over his right and nodded.

"Of course." Ravage cracked his knuckles. He was no stranger to situations like this.

* * *

"You ready?" Ravage asked Neo as the two stood back to back, surrounded by a dome of white energy spheres. Neo looked back over his left shoulder, gripping his greatsword in both hands as Ravage gripped his katana in his right hand and looked back at Neo over his right shoulder.

"I'll try and keep up..." Neo smirked briefly. Ravage smirked back and nodded.

* * *

"Here it comes." Ravage and his grandfather began jumping around with their backs to one another in the centre of the crater, occasionally flipping over and twirling around one another as they swiped and clawed at all of the summoned swords that came flying at them: destroying each one and moving around in the blink of an eye to meet the next and destroy that one as well.

* * *

"They just keep coming." Neo spoke up as he and Ravage jumped around with their backs to each other, occasionally flipping over and twirling around one another as they destroyed energy blast after energy blast with their blades.

* * *

"Relentless... how exciting." Ravage chuckled as he and his grandfather kept up their pace, managing to destroy each summoned sword that flew at them: remaining perfectly untouched.

"Look for an opening. She's holding back." His grandfather quickly looked back to Ravage after destroying three summoned swords in a single strike.

* * *

"Keep an eye out for an opening, this chump ain't anything special, just our final boss." Ravage spoke to Neo as they fought back to back against the seemingly endless onslaught of blasts, chuckling to himself afterwards.

"Got it." Neo looked up to the top of the dome of energy balls.

* * *

"Here we go." Ravage and his grandfather leapt up into the air, flying up in a corkscrew fashion with their backs pressed against each other, continuing to destroy summoned sword after summoned sword as they ascended.

* * *

"Time for the big finale!" Ravage and Neo broke out of the dome of energy blasts and continued to fly upwards. They both turned around to face one another and quickly nodded to one another before raising their blades skyward: flying up with their swords leading the charge.

"Jackpot!" Ravage and Neo exclaimed.

* * *

"Jackpot!" Ravage and his grandfather exclaimed as they flew up straight towards Raine with their right and left arms raised skyward respectively, fists clenched. Raine smirked and flew straight down to meet the two head-on. Both parties collided and a flash of light engulfed them as a shockwave nearly blew Team RWBY and JNPR away.

* * *

"Neo!" Ravage nodded to his counterpart as they flew out the back of their opponent, swords first. Neo nodded back and the two pushed their swords together, their hilts meeting and clashing against one another. The greatsword and katana spun around in place before Neo and Ravage stopped them so both blades were pointed at the leader of 'the Order'.

"Now it's time to say goodbye!" Neo and Ravage sent forth a blue energy beam from their joined swords, which went straight through their foe's back, the human screaming out like a wild beast as the beam blasted him apart.

* * *

The smoke began to clear from the crater, Team RWBY and JNPR cautiously taking slow steps forward to see who was left standing. Out of the smoke came Ravage and his grandfather. Ruby was about to cheer for them when Ravage's grandfather faded away, his fiery spirit dispersing, and Ravage fell to his knees with a weak smile and a chuckle.

"Not this time either..." Ravage's right eye closed and he fell face-first onto the ground. Raine sheathed her katana as her fire-wing faded away.

"They were too open." Raine smiled at Team RWBY and JNPR, running her right hand through her hair afterwards.


	21. Day 2 - Night 2: Gold

"Bravo, bravo." Ozpin clapped, gaining the attention of everybody there. "What a splendid display." He smiled. "I'm sure we can all learn something from a battle like that, from fighters like you..."

"Raine." The kitsune took a half-bow with a smile. "I'm Ravage's mother. Sorry about the mess, I can have it fixed immediately."

"Ozpin. And no problem, so can I." Ozpin returned the gesture as Glynda fixed up the area, restoring the courtyard to its natural state, fixing up the crater and the cracks in the odd stone column. Ozpin rose back up. "You put on a wonderful show indeed, I'm sure all of my students will appreciate it when I show them the recordings." Raine chuckled.

"Happy to entertain." She nodded. Ravage began to stir, regaining his consciousness. "Knew he wouldn't be out long." Raine looked down to her son.

"Urrgh..." Ravage opened his right eye and pushed himself up, stumbling back onto his feet before shaking his head and rubbing his forehead. "Maybe next time..." He sighed in defeat. Raine smiled and patted him on the head.

"I hope this wasn't too embarrassing for you, Ravage." Ozpin chuckled. "Losing in front of everybody I mean."

"Ehh, I never win against mom." Ravage shrugged. "After a while your pride doesn't hurt as much after each loss... your body does though."

"I suppose it might." Ozpin nodded.

"That was totally awesome though." Ruby smiled.

"I gotta admit... never seen anything like it... and I might never again." Blake added.

"Hey, I'm happy to take you on anytime." Ravage shrugged. "Hell, I'll take all four of you in a 4v1 anytime if you feel up to it, after all I love a good fight." He grinned.

"Heh, usually I'd say you'd have enough in just fighting me." Yang folded her arms and smirked. "But after that... maybe a little help would be nice." She added.

"Hey, don't go doubting yourself. Remember, I fight fair... in the sense I wouldn't use any more power than you." Ravage replied. "Besides, from what I gather you're the next best thing to a Saiyan I'll find round here, and I love me some Saiyan brawling."

"What's a Saiyan?" Yang inquired.

"Wow... huh, I assumed you might have some equivalent to that verse in media form around here, at least from what I gathered from a certain..." Ravage rested his head in his hands. "You know what, never mind, forget about it: might lead to some existential questions."

"You haven't visited one of those verses in a while have you?" Raine looked down to Ravage with a raised brow.

"Nope." Ravage sighed. "Missing my quota. Should also probably go see Akiko and the others some time as well... actually there's a lot I haven't seen in ages, I slept in a little too late, remember?" He looked off to his left as he muttered. "But I digress." He looked back to Ozpin, Glynda, Team RWBY and JNPR. "Well, I hope you all enjoyed my ass-beating, but we should probably be getting off by now... I haven't had 5th dinner yet."

"5th?" Jaune's eyes widened.

"Ravage is a growing boy." Raine smiled. "Plus our race has a naturally big appetite. Though I also say growing loosely."

"Hey, come on, you know you love me as a little lusus naturae. Heheh." Ravage looked up to his mother and smiled.

"You win this round." Raine smiled back.

"You have to go so fast?" Ruby asked, looking visibly disheartened.

"Oh come on, you know you'll see me again: I can't just relegate you girls to cameos on my holiday." Ravage laughed. "I mean I also wanna fight you and your team some time as well, so there's that. Hell, win and you can pet me whenever." He rubbed his nose. Ruby immediately pulled out her scythe Crescent Rose, the weapon unfolding and its blade extending out.

"Weiss, Blake, Yang... gear up." Ruby narrowed her eyes with a devious smirk. Yang was the only one to ready her weapons. She really wanted a fight herself. Ravage laughed again.

"You're not ready." Ravage shuck his head. "I'll give you all some time to prepare, for whoever does decide they want to spar, and we can go at it another time. Plus I'm hungry, can't fight on an empty stomach."

"Don't try and use that as an excuse for your loss." Raine smirked, folding her arms.

"Damn." Ravage clicked his fingers in irritation.

"Well I suppose this is goodbye for now then." Ruby put her scythe away.

"Yep, see you all around. Ozpin, thanks for having us." Ravage nodded.

"Any time, have a good day." Ozpin nodded back.

"Bye." Team RWBY and JNPR bid farewell to Ravage and Raine.

"See ya." Raine smiled before she and her son turned to leave.

"I miss them already." Ruby looked down at the floor.

* * *

Ravage and Raine sat at a campfire out in the thick of Emerald Forest, deep in the region and far from civilisation. Their little camp had actually been set up in a set of ancient ruins, atop a crumbling old tower overlooking a large section of the forest. The sun had set long ago and the stars were already shining high up above in the night sky, the shattered moon looking down upon mother and son as they rested.

"So, if you get back home before me you'll know where I am." Raine finished off her sentence. Ravage laid down on a fallen pillar, resting his head in his hands as he relaxed.

"Alright, but I may actually be hopping around other verses after this so it might not matter." Ravage replied. "Actually, I'm thinking of hosting a tournament later on." He added.

"Heh, sad you can't get into the one coming up in this world?" Raine smirked as she kept the campfire going with a little boost of her flames, sending out a small stream of fire from her right palm.

"Damn straight." Ravage sat back up. "I hate missing out on tournaments..." He sighed. "And now that my memories of this world's average timeline are back, I know things are going to get really fun around then. Hell, if I was allowed in the tournament I'd stay and help."

"Mess up this timeline further?" Raine chuckled.

"Hey, I could easily crush all of the bad guys with zero effort if I wanted to, save a few lives and a lot of trouble..." Ravage shrugged. "But I think I'll just let the future play out normally, doubt I'll be here for the party now."

"And if you decide to stay longer?" Raine inquired.

"It'd be over before it even starts." Ravage smiled. Raine laughed.

"Getting all compassionate."

"If I'm around I may as well save the day." Ravage defended himself. "But if I'm not around then it ain't my problem, nothing is." He followed up.

"Of course." Raine nodded.

"And besides, who knows what the future holds?" Ravage continued. "They might need this to grow stronger in time for the next big threat, by saving them from the current threat I may doom them to the next." He explained. Raine nodded again.

"The night is darkest before the dawn." Raine muttered. Ravage nodded back.

"But the dawn will always come, eventually." He responded. "Because there cannot be night without day, and day without night."

"Ah, philosophy." Raine smirked. Ravage shrugged.

"That reminds me, these Grimm creatures seem familiar to you?" Ravage scratched his head.

"Just your average darkness monsters." Raine replied. Ravage nodded.

"Like the Heartless."

"Like the Heartless." Raine nodded back.

"Ah, tropes." Ravage smiled. "Great, now I got another verse to visit some time." He muttered, looking aside.

"Ah cheer up, you know you love it." Raine rolled her eyes. "Or do I need to do a topical musical number?" Ravage's face went blank.

"Have you been listening to the OST?" Ravage stared at Raine.

"Maybe." Raine glanced to her left and right. "Besides, isn't a mother supposed to entertain her child?"

"I'm more than content already." Ravage assured Raine. Raine cleared her throat. "Oh is that Grimm I sense?" Ravage looked to the forest below.

"Dream of anything..." Raine began.

"Here we go..." Ravage sighed. "Ok, maybe I'm up for it." He muttered.

"I'll make it all come true." Raine stood up. "Everything you need is all I have for you. I'm forever, always by your side." Ravage rolled his right eye as Raine sat down beside him. "Whenever you need a friend, never far behind." Raine tickled the back of Ravage's left ear, her son giggling as she did so. They looked up to the night sky. "If the stars all fall, when there's no more light, and the moon should crumble, it will be alright." Raine and Ravage looked back to one another and smiled. "Don't you worry about the dark, I will light up the night with the love in my heart." Raine continued. "I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm." She clicked her fingers and she was briefly engulfed in flame. "Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away. With a touch of my hand, I will turn your life to goooooold." She and Ravage stood up. "With a touch of my hand, I will turn your life to gold." She 'booped' Ravage on the nose and smiled. Ravage swallowed his pride.

"Let's have everything, nothing we cannot do." He joined in. "Every heart just beaming, every sky turns blue. I'm so happy just to have you here. Smiles turn to sunshine, worries disappear." Raine giggled and patted Ravage on the head.

"When the days turn dark, and we start to fall, I will pick you up and we will fix it all." Raine picked Ravage up and spun him around before putting him on her shoulders, giving him a shoulder ride. "Don't you worry about the dark, I will light up the night with the love in my heart, I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm." Raine began to walk around the campfire with Ravage sat on her shoulders. "Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away. With a touch of my hand, I will turn your life to gold." She and Ravage stopped and looked up to the broken moon. "Goooooooold..." Raine picked Ravage up off of her shoulders and proceeded to give him a hug, the two smiling warmly as they embraced.

"Don't worry, I've got you; nothing will ever harm you." Mother and son sung in union, their voices joined in song.

"I'm close by, I'll stay here; through all things, I will be near." Raine continued on. She looked out to the horizon. She could feel her own mother's love shining down upon her. "Close your eyes, don't you cry. Love's around you; in time, you'll fly." Their hug ended and Raine put Ravage down, patting him on the head again afterwards. "Don't you worry about the dark, I will light up the night with the love in my heart." Ravage and Raine danced around in a circle as Raine continued to sing."I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm." Both engulfed themselves in flames, their fiery auras flaring up as they smiled at one another. "Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away. With a touch of my hand, I will turn your life to gold." They turned to the horizon as their fiery auras faded away.

"With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold." They finished together. Raine and Ravage looked over to each other and smiled before bursting out into laughter. They sat down on the edge of the tower, their legs dangling over the side.

"Well that was a thing..." Ravage chuckled. Raine patted him on the back. "All we're missing is a shooting star." And a shooting star passed them off in the distance. "Called it." Ravage smirked.

"How predictable." Raine shuck her head.

"Wanna go mess with the White Fang?" Ravage turned and asked.

"The what?" Raine scratched her head.

"Those terrorist Faunus guys. You've run in to them, right? You mentioned a hijacked aircraft incident." Ravage explained.

"Ahh, those guys." Raine realised. "Sure, it'll be fun: just fighting monster after monster gets boring, more sentiant life can be a nice change of pace to keep things lively." She smiled at Ravage. Ravage nodded.


	22. Night 2: Rules of Nature

"Hey, you think the boss will be alright in time for everything big going down?" One White Fang member asked another as they patrolled the outside of a huge storage warehouse in the industrial district, securing the area.

"He'll be fine, nobody is going to let him get any worse and he sure as hell ain't one to lie down and die, no way. Plus, he's got more than enough time to recover." The 2nd Faunus turned to his comrade on his right. The 1st nodded. They turned around the corner and headed towards a bunch of shipping containers, though these ones didn't store the important stuff they were here to collect.

"You think we'll be fine?" The 1st inquired.

"Huh?" The 2nd didn't follow.

"I mean with everything that's been going on." The 1st added. They came to a stop. There was a short silence between the two.

"I'd rather not think about it." The 2nd Faunus finally replied.

"Hmm..." The 1st slowly nodded. The sound of a bang, the knock of metal, reached the two. They jumped into combat ready stances and drew their swords from their sheaths. "Better go check it out..."

"Yeah." The 2nd sighed. They were unaware that they were being watched at that very moment. Raine looked down upon the duo from the rooftop of the warehouse, smirking as she perched at the edge with the wind blowing through her hair. She stood up and turned around and walked off, she was going to let Ravage handle the majority of the White Fang there, she'd deal with the stragglers.

* * *

"Hey... what's that...?" The two White Fang members had wondered into a maze of shipping containers and crates, and the first one had noticed something in the shadows of a small gap between two large metal containers. The two Faunus cautiously peered into the dark, swords at the ready. The small thing shifted. They took a step back. Three long tails with sharp stingers uncurled from around the little orange creature. The Faunus gulped. Ravage raised his domed head and let out a soft growl, his right crimson pupil piercing through the darkness as drool dripped from his mouth, his razor sharp teeth on display. "Run..." The first Faunus muttered to his friend. Ravage began to slowly rise, getting up from his crouched stance. "Run!" The two turned tail and sprinted for it, Ravage letting them get a head start.

* * *

"Alright, that's everything checked out." The lead Faunus of the operation underhand on that night, a White Fang lieutenant, muttered to himself as he checked off a notepad.

"We're all here, sir." One female Faunus spoke up from the crowd gathered in the office room. "Well, the scouts have yet to check in but..." She heard a bin being knocked over in the hallway outside.

"That's them now... idiots." The lieutenant sighed, turning around. The two Faunus who had been patrolling outside rushed into the room, out of breath. "What is it?" The lieutenant asked them.

"There's something out there! Some kind of thing... a little monster... with a red eye!" The two frantically explained.

"A Grimm?" The lieutenant scratched his head.

"It ain't no Grimm! It had like three tails... and I think it was wearing a jacket... and... shorts...?" The 2nd Faunus did a double take as he recalled the image.

"You're seeing things." The lieutenant dismissed their claims.

"No we ain't! It's coming to get us, I know it!" The first scout Faunus exclaimed.

"Sounds like the thing the boss fought..." One Faunus in the crowd muttered. Instantly everyone in the room, minus the lieutenant, broke into hysteria.

"Order!" The lieutenant was ignored. "Order!" He shouted again. The others didn't calm down. He stepped onto a table, right underneath an open air vent. "Order!" He fired his shotgun up into the ceiling. Silence overtook the room. Everyone turned to face the lieutenant. "There is nothing to worry about, those two are just seeing things and on edge over the recent events." The lieutenant assured his subordinates. "We're going to be perfectly fine, now everyone just needs to calm the hell down and get back to work on getting the Dust shipments to the dropship." He continued. "Besides..." He rested his shotgun over his right shoulder. "We've got more than enough firepower to handle the bugger if it is here and we even have a Paladin as back-up thanks to the boss' insistence on extra security." The rest of the White Fang seemed content now. "So it can come and get some! Because I've got this!" The lieutenant grinned, pumping his shotgun. "For close encou-AAAAAHHHH!" Ravage's arms burst out of the dark above and he grabbed the lieutenant by the head with both hands, claws digging into his skull, and pulled him up into the air vent: the lieutenant's legs dangling and thrashing about whilst he screamed in terror and pain. Mass hysteria overcame the rest of the White Fang, the Faunus screaming and jumping back as the lieutenant's yells quickly ended: interrupted by the snapping of his neck. One Faunus in the room grabbed a chair of all things as he jumped back whilst his commander's limp legs dangled from the air vent. The other White Fang members were frozen in fear. The lieutenant's legs disappeared into the vent up above, Ravage pulling his entire body up before making his escape. Silence. No one dared move.

"Fuck!" The Faunus with the chair quickly exclaimed. The others couldn't help but look at him.

"Language!" Ravage's distant voice echoed throughout the air vents. The White Fang members jumped out of fear.

"We are absolutely..."

* * *

Raine drew her sword from its scabbard and sliced through the generator powering the warehouse. She resheathed her katana and the lights went out, the generator splitting in half before erupting in flames.

* * *

"Screwed..." One Faunus muttered as the lights went out, staring at the ceiling as the room went dark.

"Well... uh... at least we can see in the dark." Another gulped. "Nope... still terrified." He sighed.

"It's screwing with us." A 3rd commented.

"It's working." A 4th replied.

"This is it..." A 5th Faunus broke down. "We're done for..." He sobbed. "Game over... game over, man! Game over!"

"Pull yourself together!" One of his comrades picked him up by his collar. "We're getting out of here! To the VTOL, now, everyone!"

"You don't have to tell me twice." The female Faunus headed straight for the door, followed by the two scouts and then the seven other White Fang members left in the room.

* * *

"Hey, Spruce...?" The White Fang member who was the designated pilot of the Bullhead called out to their partner. No answer. "Spruce, you there?" Still no answer. "Damn it, out for a smoke again..." The Faunus got out of the pilot seat and turned around to leave the cockpit only to be greeted by Ravage, clinging to the ceiling with his tails ready to strike. "OH SWEET..." Ravage growled and sent his three tails flying at the Faunus as they reached for their handgun. The Faunus' blood splattered onto the left-hand window of the cockpit, their scream cut short.

* * *

Raine was standing outside the Bullhead at the time, stomping out the cigarette of the Faunus called Spruce as she held him out to the side: his lifeless body impaled on her katana. Raine looked to her left and smirked, she had an idea.

* * *

"Come on!" The Faunus at the front of the group escaping the warehouse called out to those behind him.

"Wait... where's the VTOL...?" One asked as they skidded to a halt. The aircraft was gone.

"Why is the Paladin over there?" The female Faunus pointed to the Atlesian Paladin-290 situated over to their right, a good distance away.

"What the hell...?" Another White Fang member muttered as they looked off to their left.

"Hey! It's the Bullhead!" The lead Faunus exclaimed. Every one but the Faunus looking off to the left turned to see the aircraft flying towards them. "Over here!"

"Guys..." The Faunus looking off to the left gulped. The others slowly turned to look in his direction. They saw the pilot and Spruce's corpses hanging from a lamp post, held up by their legs with rope.

"Oh for the love of..." One of the Faunus muttered.

"Oh crap! Everybody move!" The Bullhead came crashing down, tumbling across the ground and smashing into the side of the warehouse.

* * *

Raine and Ravage looked down upon the chaos from the rooftop of another warehouse to the east.

* * *

The smoke began to slowly clear, revealing the Bullhead lodged into the side of the warehouse with rubble scattered everywhere. Only four White Fang members remained alive, the rest having been crushed by the VTOL. The one previously leading the escape; the female Faunus, a large and muscular Faunus and one of the two scouts. The female Faunus slowly opened her eyes to see Raine standing over her. She quickly tried to reach out for a sword laying besides her but Raine kicked her in the gut and sent her flying into the wall behind her.

"Ahhh!" The female Faunus screamed out as she bounced off of the wall. Raine quickly jumped up to the rooftops, disappearing from sight. The other three Faunus stumbled to their feet upon hearing their comrade's scream.

"Huh?" The scout rubbed the back of his head.

"What's going on?" The lead Faunus looked over to the female, he was about to rush to her side when he felt a sharp pain rush through his back and then into his chest. Ravage's central tail. The kitsune was perched upon the ruined Bullhead. "AHH!" Thd Faunus screamed out as Ravage lifted him up with his tail, turning him around to face him as he brought the Faunus up to eye-level: the two face-to-face.

"What the..." The scout Faunus muttered in disbelief.

"Sweet..." The large Faunus cut himself off. Ravage threw the 3rd Faunus away, tossing him off of his tail before jumping down to meet the scout and large Faunus. Ravage slowly rose up and threw his sheathed katana away as he looked upon the two Faunus. He would make things fairer. "Go." The large Faunus stepped forward. The scout nodded and ran off. The large Faunus and Ravage stared down. Ravage crouched and the large Faunus activated the wrist blades in his right gauntlet: two metal blades extending out. Ravage growled as he got on all fours. The large Faunus unleashed a battle cry, roaring defiantly at the three tailed beast before him, entering a battle stance and pulling his right arm back. Ravage snarled at him. The Faunus snarled back. The two rushed at one another. The large Faunus dodged Ravage's first attack, a tail-slam from his right-hand tail, and parried his second with his wrist blades: a jab with his left-hand tail's tip. The Faunus ducked under Ravage's 3rd attack, an overhead swipe with all three tails, before Ravage knocked him off his feet with a swipe of his left hand. The Faunus fell hard on his back and Ravage pounced to capitalise on the opening. The Faunus narrowly moved his head out of the way of Ravage's next attack, resulting in Ravage's central tail's tip getting imbedded in the floor. The Faunus capitalised on his opportunity and reversed the orientation of his wrist blades before slicing them through Ravage's tail: cutting the stinger off. Ravage jumped back and roared in pain as his central tail thrashed about wildly. The Faunus charged forward and shoulder-tackled Ravage, smashing him against the downed Bullhead. Ravage kicked him back and dropped to the floor, but the Faunus recovered quickly and grabbed Ravage by his right leg: picking him up and swinging him about, smashing him through a chunk of rubble before letting go and sending Ravage flying a good distance. Ravage tumbled across the floor as the large Faunus broke into a sprint, rushing after Ravage. Ravage jumped back onto his feet and sent a fireball flying at the Faunus. The Faunus dodged out of the way but looked back to see Ravage now gone. The Faunus cautiously looked around, on edge and ready for Ravage to jump out. Ravage slowly looked out over the edge of a shipping container before making his next move. The large Faunus turned around in time to see Ravage leaping at him. He fired a net from his left gauntlet and caught Ravage in it: the kitsune caught in the Faunus' trap. The Faunus chuckled and extended his wrist blades to twice their original length as he moved in to finish this. Or so he thought, Ravage's central tail's tip had already regrown back. The large Faunus stood over the trapped Ravage as the kitsune squirmed, grinning as he looked down upon him. Ravage suddenly burst out of the trap, his three tails cutting effortlessly through the net, and took the Faunus by surprise: pouncing on him and forcing him to the ground. Ravage growled as he pinned his opponent down and readied his three tails to strike.

"No!" The female Faunus exclaimed. It was already too late, Ravage landed the killing attack. The little demon kitsune rose up, standing back up on his legs and let out a victory roar. The female Faunus pulled her handgun from the holster on her right thigh and took aim but Raine dropped down in front of her and picked her up by the neck: choking the Faunus and making her drop the gun. Raine smirked and pulled back her unsheathed sword. The sound of stomping metal feet reached Raine and Ravage's ears. Ravage turned around and Raine looked to her left. The Faunus glanced to her right as Raine held her up. The Paladin mech stomped to a halt. The scout Faunus was inside the mecha.

"Get away from her, you bitch." The Paladin's targeting systems kicked in, lining up a clear shot on Raine. Raine threw the female Faunus away as Ravage grabbed his katana, picking the sheathed blade up off of the ground, and walked towards his mother. The Paladin's systems targeted Ravage as well. Ravage drew his sword from its scabbard as he stood beside Raine. Raine and Ravage glanced to one another and grinned. "Out in the wild we didn't hunt common mutts, we hunted great foxes. But look what's wondered out of the wilderness..." The scout bragged from the safety of the Paladin's cockpit, taking note of Ravage and Raine's fox features.

"You first, mom." Ravage chuckled, rubbing his nose. Raine smiled and nodded. The Paladin fired off a salvo of missiles the moment the female Faunus had gotten to the minimum safe distance. Raine and Ravage turned their attention back to the mecha. "Time for him to learn the rules of nature."

"A cornered fox is more dangerous than a rabid mutt." Raine dashed forward, Ravage following close behind. The Paladin fired both of its chainguns at Raine, who effortlessly dodged each bullet whilst rushing forward. Meanwhile Ravage leapt into the air and jumped from missile to missile, making his way towards the mecha.

"Nice try, you little punk!" The Paladin punched Ravage back just as Raine slashed through the battlesuit's ankles before dashing away. "What the?!" Ravage landed safely back on the ground as Raine jumped on the Paladin's back and stabbed the mecha repeatedly. "Get off!" The Paladin tried to shake Raine off. "I said get off!" Raine backflipped just as a missile flew out of the Paladin's back. Raine kicked it straight back down mid-flip. "Aaargh!" The Paladin was rocked by the blast as Raine landed on a nearby rooftop.

"Now, Ravage, bring it down!" Raine exclaimed upon landing. Ravage nodded and rushed forward.

"Not yet!" The scout got the Paladin back on its feet and fired off a laser blast straight at Ravage as he ran forward. Ravage dashed to the side and the laser rushed straight for the female Faunus as she hid behind rubble.

"AHH!" She was completely obliterated. Ravage kept on running forward. The Paladin pulled back its right arm, a plasma blade extending from it.

"Stop that blade!" Raine called out. Ravage blocked the entire thing with his katana, sparks flying between him and the Paladin's plasma blade as they struggled to overpower one another. Ravage finally pushed the blade back and then grabbed the end of it before the scout could try to strike again. Ravage then lifted the entire damn mecha, flipped it over him and spun the bloody thing around before tossing it into the air. Ravage leapt after it and landed on the arm. "Yes! Yes! Split it wide open!" Raine cheered her son on. Ravage ran up the arm, swinging his blade wildly as he rushed along: making metal confetti out of the thingas he ran along it. Ravage leapt up into the air once more and prepared the final strike.

"Like I said..." Ravage resheathed his blade. "Rules of nature." He dashed down through the air and quick-drew his sword mid-fall. Sliiiiice! Ravage cut straight through the battlesuit, and its pilot, dashing through the middle of it as it split in two. Ravage landed on the ground as the two halves crashed down hard behind him. He stood up and twirled his sword around before resheathing it in front of his face. He ran his right hand through his head fur with a smile as the wind blew the tail-ends of his eye-bandanna off to his left.

"And that's a wrap." Raine clapped. Ravage looked up to see his mother smiling at him. "Time for bed." Raine stopped clapping. Ravage's smile faded away.

"Aww, mom..."

"Bed." Raine was stern. Ravage sighed and accepted his defeat.


	23. Day 3: In Thoughts All Alone

Young Raine fell to her knees, clutching desperately onto her broadsword's hilt with both hands and using the massive weapon for support. She started to cough up a green substance as pulsing green veins slowly overtook the left side of her now pale face, having come from her left arm. She was alone now, out in the wastelands of Gaia. She had come so far and was now being stopped just before her journey's end. She couldn't let it end so pitifully: she'd found the cure, she'd took on the Order and defeated the master mind behind the plot to eradicate her race... and yet here she was, on her knees in the middle of nowhere suffering from a disease to which she held the cure yet she dared not use said cure whilst her father and village were still on the brink. She'd just have to persevere a little longer. Raine growled and stumbled back onto her feet, taking deep breaths as she rose back up with the help of her broadsword as support. She slowly looked around the area, her left arm now limp and the left side of her face covered with green veins. Raine stabbed her broadsword into the dirt and pulled out a little canteen. She at least wanted a bit of rum before getting back on her motorcycle, which was parked behind her. Raine dropped the bottle and grated her teeth in irritation. She closed her eyes and sighed, today was really not her day. Actually it had not been her day in ages. Oh how she couldn't wait to get back on the ocean. Raine went to pick up her canteen when a piercing chill travelled up her spine. She felt a cold presence watching her, a cold presence that actually managed to unnerve the kitsune prodigy. The sound of distant footsteps reached her ears, followed by the shrieking of the wind. Raine took a deep breath and wrapped her right hand around the hilt of her weapon. Raine slowly turned around to see a small sandstorm raging behind her. She narrowed her eyes. The wind died down and the sandstorm began to settle. She saw one old man walking towards her.

"Huh...?" Raine tightened the grip on her broadsword. This old man walked slowly towards Raine, his hands behind his back and his back slightly crooked, his shoulders broad and hunched. His skin was deathly pale and his eyes a cold blue. He had not a single hair on his head or face, minus his bushy grey eyebrows. A small scar went over his right eye and extended to his cheekbone. A devious grin rested upon his face, revealing his well-kept teeth. The man came to a stop a good distance before Raine. He wore a black, high-collared, leather coat with a blue interior and white lining. The coat had several silver buttons lining the hips, a belt around his waist, and a second one that extends from the waist and up to the collar to connect to several smaller straps. The four shorter straps were buttoned to either side of the front of the collar while the remaining ones were buttoned to the shoulders to form spaulders. A white leather pauldron was attached to each spaulder by three buttons and two straps that buttoned the rim of the coat and two more that crossed over his upper back. Underneath this coat was a baige shirt, buttoned to the top, with three belts around the old man's waist and navy blue pants covering his legs with calf-high black boots over them, and black leather gloves covering his hands. "Who are you?" Raine pointed her broadsword at the old man. He responded with a simple yet uncomfortable smile.

"You've done well..." The old man's voice was raspy and chilling. "But I have one last test for you." He clicked his fingers and the ground beneath them began shake violently, Raine barely keeping her footing. "Show me your spirit." The immediate area around them rose up out of the ground, taking them high up into the air: Raine's motorcycle falling off the side of the pillar as it continued to rise. "I must see it first hand, experience it's ferocity myself before I can make my decision." The old man continued as the pillar they stood upon stopped rising. Raine regained her balance.

"What decision?!" Raine took hold of her broadsword with both hands.

"The one that must be made if our world is to survive." The man held his arms out to the side as the ground froze beneath him an icy, misty aura engulfed him.

"What are you on about?!" Raine threw her left arm out to the side whilst pointing her sword at the old man.

"I will explain in due time young one, should you best me." He grinned. Raine narrowed her eyes and twirled her broadsword around before resting it on her right shoulder. "Come! One last battle lays before you!" The sky darkened and the sun was blocked out. "Show me your power! Your potential! Use the burning anger that has driven you once more!"

"Shut up!" Raine dashed forward. The old man smirked and vanished from her sight. Raine skidded to a halt. He was directly behind her. They stood back to back. Raine's eyes widened but before she could act the old man had already roundhouse kicked her in the back of the head and sent her flying. A pillar of ice burst out of the ground before Raine and she crashed straight into it. "Urrghh..." She fell back down and tumbled along the ground as the ice pillar shattered and burst into tiny pieces. Raine stumbled back up as the old man walked towards her, arms behind his back once again.

"Hold nothing back!" He swiped his right arm out in front of him and another, smaller, ice pillar burst out of the ground beneath Raine and sent her flying after exploding and shattering apart like the last. Raine tumbled along the ground again. "Your anger! Your hate! Use it! Let your screaming soul be heard by the planet!" The old man threw his arms up into the air. Raine got back on her feet and growled as she used her broadsword for support. "Let the planet hear you! Let it know it can be saved!"

"Shut up, you're not making any sense!" Raine sent a sword beam towards the old man. He simply backhanded it away, letting it explode behind him.

"Yes! Rage and grow stronger!" The old man chuckled. "Do not fail your race now. Do not fail your father here. Do not fail our planet!" He added. "Or everything will have been in vein..."

"Shut up!" Raine screamed towards the sky as flames engulfed her. The flames overtook Raine as she screamed, some even coming from her mouth and eyes. "Shut up!" Raine grabbed her sword and pulled it out of the ground, the flames around her calming down as the fire from her eyes and mouth vanished. The old man smiled with a devilish twinkle in his cold eyes.

"Only you can save them." He sent several shards of ice flying towards Raine. Raine sliced straight through them as her fiery aura flared back up. "But still you hold back. Let it all go, it is the only way." The old man reappeared directly in front of Raine and kneed her in the gut, cutting her wind off and leaving her struggling for air, before twirling around the kitsune and kicking her in the back. "You will fail if you do not unleash the fury within!" Raine stabbed her broadsword into the ground as she rolled along the ground, halting her momentum. "Give in to it! Or you shall lose the only family you have left!" Raine got back up on her feet. "Yes..." The old man grinned. Raine's flames climbed higher. "This will be a battle of great valour... I see it now."

"I..." Raine narrowed her eyes. "I will not let my father die... I will not let my people perish like this... I am Raine, a kitsune..." Her aura grew larger. The ground began to crack up beneath her feet. "And we kitsunes... we... we are a race of warriors!" Raine clenched her left fist in front of her face. The green veins on her face began to recede.

"Yes, yes! That's it!" The old man chuckled. For a brief moment a fire-wing appeared to sprout from the young Raine's right shoulder blade but it quickly vanished soon after: unable to sustain itself. "Keep at it!" Yellow bio-electricity began to spark up around Raine.

"I said... shut up!" Raine dashed forward, wrapping her left hand around her sword's hilt as she charged towards the old man and left behind a trail of embers and sparks.

* * *

Present Raine was stood on the edge of the old ruined tower in the Emerald Forest that she and Ravage had set camp up on the night before, her arms folded as she watched the sun rise and the wind blew through her hair. She hadn't got much sleep, but it didn't bother her. Raine heard Ravage's waking yawn, her son finally getting up. She turned around to see him sit up in his sleeping bag and stretch his arms and tails: raising them all up as he yawned. Ravage looked off to his left whilst scratching the back of his right ear.

"Oh hey, mom... didn't think you'd still be here." Ravage smiled, getting up out of his temporary bed. Raine smiled back.

"I can spare one more day." She replied. "I'll leave tonight."

"Oh, ok. Fine by me." Ravage again before letting out another yawn. "Where'd I put my vest and jacket...?" He muttered, looking around for his clothes. He was only in his shorts at the time, revealing his skinny body: so skinny you could faintly see his ribs at his sides. This wasn't a sign of bad health however, he was just naturally that way. He also had a lot of white fur covering the front of his torso, from beneath his shorts up to his chest. "Ahh!" He tripped over his shoes. Raine laughed and shuck her head. "Damn it..." Ravage pushed himself back up. His feet looked quite human but had rather sharp nails on the toes, like the claws on his left hand.

"Besides, it's quite possible you may get your fight with Ruby and her friends today." Raine spoke up.

"Well, guess now I'm obligated to..." He shrugged with a smirk, looking back to his mother.


	24. Day 3: The Battles Ahead

Ravage and Raine soared through the skies, using the same method of a charged demon rune launch like Ravage had a day previously. Raine simply flew backwards with her head resting in her arms whilst Ravage flipped around and pulled off numerous tricks as he flew alongside his mother. Raine glanced over to Ravage as he curled up into a ball whilst flipping forward and smiled. Ravage uncurled and grabbed his left foot with his left hand whilst holding his right arm up with his fist clenched. Raine rolled her eyes before looking back to her front.

"Relaxation doesn't hurt." Raine chuckled, closing her eyes.

"Yeah but I may as well get some stretches in." Ravage retorted.

"Nobody's here to see you show off, Ravage."

"Just stretching." Ravage replied.

"Sure." Raine's sarcasm was bludgeoning. "Always were a terrible liar... you get it from your grandfather."

"He heard that." Ravage looked over to Raine.

"He was meant to." Raine smirked.

* * *

"Well ain't we a strange sight this early in the day..." Ravage chuckled as he and his mother walked up the main avenue towards Beacon Academy.

"We're a strange sight no matter what... well, depending on the verse we might not be but, here we are." Raine shrugged. "So how you going about this?" She inquired.

"I considered going in reverse, working my way up to Ruby since she's the leader and all but... I think I'd rather go in regular order, save the best for last. And then there's the 4v1 for after, if they're still up to it after round 1 that is." Ravage explained.

"Only those four then?" Raine asked.

"For today? Yes, though I would like to fight JNPR at some point... shame that Jaune seems kinda scared. Too bad, he has a lot of power." Ravage responded.

"Power means nothing without skill." Raine patted Ravage on the head.

"Yeah I... wait a minute." Ravage cut himself off, narrowing his eyes. Raine chuckled to herself. "One day..." Ravage grumbled.

"And on that day I'll regard you as grown-up." Raine smiled. "But I'll still give you lots of hugs and kisses regardless, because you'll always be my little..."

"Freak of nature." Ravage looked up to his mom and smiled.

"You're a quick little monster ain't ya?" Raine tickled Ravage's left ear. Ravage laughed.

"It's the way I like it." Ravage shrugged. "Though I suppose I could try a more 'aged look' at one point."

"There's no rush. I like you being my little pint sized bundle of joy." Raine replied.

"Of course. Besides, I could always change back after if I did." Ravage nodded.

* * *

"So... you've come." Ruby opened her eyes. She was sat on her knees with a black headband around her forehead as Ravage and Raine stood in the doorway, the sunlight shining behind them. A gust of wind blew Ruby's headband tail ends to her left. Raine looked to Ravage with a wide-eyed, confused stare. Ravage was looking at Ruby with an amused smile on his face. "Then it is decided." Ruby stood up. "Today is the day I've waited for..." Ravage folded his arms as Ruby turned around. "We shall engage in battle!" Ruby pointed straight at the little demon. "And if you should lose!" Ruby narrowed her eyes. "I get to pet you whenever!" She threw her arms up into the air as a huge grin grew on her face. Ravage unfolded his arms and chuckled.

"With such a thing at stake..." Ravage put his left hand on his hip as he waved his right around near his head. "How could I not want to win more than ever?" He smirked. Ruby narrowed her eyes again.

"You will be petted!" She pointed dramatically at Ravage again.

"Is this some kind of fever dream?" Raine muttered to herself, looking off to her right.

"I keep on asking that myself." Blake spoke up from the sidelines, standing besides Weiss and Yang.

"Blaaake, get in the spirit of things." Ruby whined, taking off her headband. Blake just stared at her before looking and pointing to Weiss, who was stood to her right with her arms folded, and then she looked and pointed to Yang. Yang was grinning at Ravage as she cracked her knuckles. Blake stopped pointing at Yang and shuck her head.

"I'mma go all in." Yang continued to grin at Ravage. Ravage looked over to her and gave a thumbs up.

"I guess I should go prepare an arena." Raine commented.

"Oh no need, ma'am." Ruby looked to Raine. "I have a place booked. We're going to get a crowd as well. Professor Ozpin has made it a special event for the academy." She smiled. Raine smiled and nodded back. "Not every day you see fighters like yourselves." Ruby added.

"Well, I'll have to give my thanks to Ozpin later when I see him." Ravage interjected. "I'm more than happy to have this as a public event... though I guess this'll be your first recorded loss now." He chuckled.

"Oh it's on." Ruby clenched her left fist in front of her face with a huge grin. Ravage smirked in return.

"Suppose there's no backing down now..." Blake unfolded her arms. "I'll just have to give it my all."

"That's the spirit." Yang patted her on the back.

"You look like you're going to enjoy this a little too much." Weiss stared at Yang. Yang's grin was a big as Ruby's grin.

"Oh very much so." Her eyes flashed red for a split second. Blake and Weiss stared at her with growing concern.

"You scare me." Weiss muttered.

"I'm almost regretting saving Yang for last, for before the 4v1..." Ravage looked over to the other three.

"What?!" Yang quickly turned to Ravage. "Oooh, now I have to wait longer..." She whined.

"Join the club." Ravage shrugged.


	25. Day 3: Ruby Rose

Ravage and Ruby stood on the raised stage in the assembly area, a glass-domed amphitheater. Weiss; Blake, Yang and Raine were stood in the large open area in front of the stage with a collection of academy students. Ruby activated her scythe, letting it unfold as the lights around the stage went out: leaving the stage alone lit up. Ravage ran his right hand through the fur on his head as a screen lit up off to his right and Ruby's left. Ruby grinned and Ravage smirked. Ruby's aura metre loaded up on the screen. Ravage looked over to the screen and raised his right brow.

"Better let my energy get scanned." He muttered. Ravage looked back to Ruby. "Don't worry I'll limit myself to your level. Our power will be perfectly even. It's only fair."

"Thanks." Ruby smiled. Ravage nodded. Ravage's energy was successfully read and his metre was loaded up on to the screen. Ravage wrapped his right hand around the hilt of his sheathed katana as he assumed his ready stance, moving his left leg behind his right.

"You may begin." Glynda announced over the PA system. Ruby and Ravage narrowed their eyes. Ravage dashed forward as Ruby twirled her scythe around and then fired off a sniper round, sending herself flying towards Ravage as he prepared to draw his sword from its scabbard. Ruby spun forward as Ravage quick-drew his katana. The blades of their weapons clashed, katana against scythe. A shockwave rushed out around them as they clashed, blowing Ruby's hair and cloak and Ravage's fur and jacket back.

"I wanna see how you compare to Tidea." Ravage smiled as the two struggled against one another.

"Who's Tidea?" Ruby inquired.

"An old friend. A dear friend." Ravage replied. Ruby nodded. They both backflipped away from each other. Ravage landed and skidded backwards as Ruby took aim in mid-air. Ruby fired off a couple of shots, the recoil sending her further back, which Ravage caught with his blade as he spun his katana around in front of him. He sent the bullets straight back with a flick of his sword, which Ruby then deflected away with a couple of swings of her scythe whilst Ravage resheathed his sword. He immediately redrew it and dimensional cuts appeared around Ruby, pulsing blue streaks surrounding her.

"Huh...?" Ruby looked around in alarm. "Oh-ohh." She dashed out of the immediate area, leaving behind rose petals, just as the dimensional cuts went to shatter. Ravage leapt forward and dive-kicked Ruby back, followed by hitting her with a sword beam, sending her flying. Ruby flipped through the air but managed to recover and stabbed her scythe into the floor, spinning around on it before yanking it out the ground and flying straight back at Ravage. Ravage used his sword's scabbard to block Ruby's next attack, the force of which inevitably sent Ravage back a little. Ruby backflipped and spun her scythe around before striking a battle pose with it behind her back, blade to the ground. Ravage came to a halt and spun his katana around before resheathing it in front of his face and then running his right hand through his head fur.

"Now I'm motivated." He clenched his right hand in front of his face before throwing his right arm out to his side as six summoned swords appeared and started spinning around his body.

"Ooooh, so cool..." Ruby grinned.

"You will know this devil's power." Ravage stalked forward, occasionally moving with such extreme speed he appeared to disappear and reappear from one spot to the other. Ruby dashed forward to meet Ravage head on but was immediately sent flying back upon contact with Ravage's sword barrier: Ruby just missing the opening and thus one of the spectral blades hit her and launched her back. Ruby tumbled along the floor as Ravage sent two sword beams flying towards her, resheathing his katana afterwards. Ruby jumped back onto her feet and quickly jumped out of the way of both attacks. Ravage's summoned swords warped to his sides: three on his left and three on his right. He sent them all flying at Ruby who narrowly managed to dash out of their way. Ravag matched Ruby's speed and reappeared at her side the moment she skidded to a stop, striking her twice with his scabbard before drawing his sword and slicing her with his sword. This knocked Ruby backwards and off-balance. Ravage capitalised and threw his sword after her, the spinning blade juggling her in mid-air as it stopped in place, chipping away at her Aura metre, Ravage reappeared above Ruby and dive-kicked her again, following up with a pinwheel kick before uppercutting Ruby away. "Ravryuken!" Ravage exclaimed upon finishing his chain combo. He grabbed his sword out of the air and returned it to his sheath as Ruby stumbled back onto her feet.

* * *

"That was some combo..." Yang muttered, unfolding her arms.

"But Ruby's Aura hasn't even hit 75%." Weiss noted. Raine chuckled. The others looked to her.

"Of course. He's holding back." Raine looked to Weiss, Blake and Yang. "Ravage's attacks will only inflict as much damage to Ruby as hers will to him. They are indeed physically even right now. Ruby could beat him as easily as Ravage could beat her. He wouldn't have it any other way, a battle he can't lose is a disgusting thought to Ravage." She explained.

* * *

Ravage beckoned Ruby to attack with a finger wag from his right hand. Ruby grinned and broke into a sprint, running straight for the kitsune. She then jumped up and shot the ground to propel her over Ravage's first attack, a single quick-draw sword slice, flipping over him and then striking Ravage in the back with her scythe. Ravage flew forward and Ruby dashed after him, reappearing in front of him and striking him two more times with her scythe before he blocked her 3rd attack and jumped back from Ruby's 4th. Ruby flipped her scythe around and fired a shot off behind her, sending herself flying towards Ravage as she flipped her scythe back around and began spinning towards him. Ravage parried each spinning strike before jumping over Ruby and rolling out of the way as she turned back around and swung her scythe down, imbedding its blade in the floor. Ravage dashed back and kicked her away as he holstered his sword on his back. He grabbed Crescent Rose with both hands, swung around and landed on top of its handle and yanked it out of the ground. Ruby's eyes widened. Ravage spun Ruby's scythe around above his head before jumping up and slashing her a couple of times with her own weapon before throwing it at her, the weapon striking Ruby repeatedly as it spun around through the air and knocked her back. Ruby tumbled backwards as Ravage landed safely back on the ground.

* * *

"Ravage can be a combat pragmatist despite his usual honor." Raine shrugged. "He limits his power so it's purely a game of skill, experience and resourcefulness. In his mind, anything goes as long as the opponents are evenly matched."

"It's smart. If it works, it works." Blake replied. "I'd do the same."

* * *

Ruby fired off sniper shot after sniper shot at Ravage as he dashed around the arena, narrowly dodging each shot before making his move on Ruby: dashing straight towards her and slicing through her next few shots with his katana. Ruby twirled her scythe around before swinging at the approaching Ravage. Ravage jumped onto her scythe and ran down it but Ruby flung him off in time to not receive a kick to the face and a sword slash to the back as Ravage had planned. As Ravage flipped through the air Ruby jumped after him and went in with a downwards slice, which Ravage managed to block just in time before blasting Ruby back with a summoned sword. Ruby recovered and fired a sniper shot off behind her, sending her flying back towards Ravage as he landed on the ground and letting her dropkick him in the face. Ravage tumbled and rolled along the ground as Ruby flipped forward and starting spinning towards Ravage as his katana flew out of his grasp. Ruby's strike was imminent. Ravage dug his claws into the floor and blocked Ruby's attack with all three glaive-like tips of his trio of tails. He then retaliated with a rising whirlwind kick that knocked Ruby into the air, following up with grabbing her straight back out of the air with the spectral copy of his right demonic arm which he summoned upon reaching out to her as she flew up into the air. The yellow spectral arm materialised before Ruby and its hand wrapped around her entire body. Ravage then slammed Ruby into the ground before calling his sword back to him and then sprinting straight towards her, resheathing his katana as he ran. Ruby jumped back onto her feet, shuck her head briefly as she was seeing stars, then dashed straight towards Ravage: leaving behind rose petals in her wake. Ravage drew his sword and Ruby lifted her scythe above her head as she flew forward. The two blades clashed and both Ravage and Ruby instantly jumped back afterwards before dashing straight back to one another and clashing again. The two began to dash and jump around, clashing repeatedly all around the centre of the arena, from a variety of different angles and altitudes: both moving from one spot to another in the blink of an eye, leaving behind rose petals and afterimages respectively as they clashed in one spot and then in another.

* * *

"I can barely keep up." Weiss muttered, rubbing her eyes as she spoke. "You still following this, Yang?" Weiss turned to her teammate.

"Totally lost." Yang smiled as she answered Weiss.

"I can't get a good track on them myself, they're moving too fast." Blake chipped in.

* * *

Both Ravage and Ruby clashed once more in the very centre of the arena before both were sent flying back from the force of their blades meeting, Ruby and Ravage tumbling along the floor away from one another. Ravage chuckled and stumbled back onto his feet, a cut on his right cheek healing back up. Ruby was getting back up on her own two feet at the time, using her scythe for support.

"Guess you're a little faster at this level..." Ravage smirked, resheathing his sword and reassuming his battle ready stance, left leg behind the right. Ruby smiled back.

"You're no slouch yourself." Ruby replied. "I've been going full speed." She twirled her scythe around before embedding the blade in the floor as she pointed the weapon in the kitsune's direction.

"I noticed..." Ravage remarked.

"I really wanna pet you." Ruby narrowed her eyes. "So I can't afford to lose."

"Don't worry, even if you don't win in particular, as long as I loose once, be it in a 1v1 or the 4v1..." Ravage tightened his grip on his sheathed sword's hilt. "You get to pet me." Ruby's face lit up like a christmas tree. "Now... I've got a match to win." Ravage grinned.

"So have I." Ruby smirked.

"Then let's finish this." Ravage replied.

"Right." Ruby nodded and the two prepared to get back into the fight. Ruby reloaded Crescent Rose's sniper ammo before reassuming her battle ready stance. Ravage's fiery aura briefly flickered over him as he prepared himself. They stared down.

* * *

"The tension is killing me..." Mercury muttered as he and Emerald stood at the back of thecrowd, Mercury himself leaning against a wall as Emerald stood with her arms folded beside him. Mercury chuckled making Emerald roll her eyes.

* * *

Ruby and Ravage were rushing towards one another when Ruby jumped to her left before firing off a shot behind her, rushing past Ravage and catching the kitsune off guard by slashing him in the back with her scythe before knocking him up into the air with the blade immediately afterwards, jumping after him to follow up on her combo. Ravage flipped around to recover and used a demonic rune to avoid Ruby's next attack, retaliating with a barrage of summoned swords followed by a dimensional cut that sent Ruby flying towards the ground. Ruby managed to recover in time to land safely on her feet, dashing out of the way as Ravage came in with a downwards strike. Ravage jumped over Ruby's scythe as she tried to capitalise on his missed attack, the kitsune roundhouse kicking her in the side of the head before dashing after her as he sent her flying with the attack. Ruby flipped around and skidded to a halt as Ravage came in with a quick-draw: Ruby narrowly blocking the lightning-fast attack with her scythe before striking Ravage with her scythe repeatedly as she twirled it around in a pinwheel fashion before blasting him away with a sniper shot after stabbing her scythe's blade into the floor. Ravage tumbled along the floor as Ruby prepared to use her Semblance to catch Ravage in a whirlwind. Ravage jumped back onto his feet just as Ruby blasted off towards him. He resheathed his sword as its blade began to glow. Ruby spun forward in a corkscrew fashion as she brought a raging whirlwind along with her. Ravage drew his sword and sent a sword beam flying towards Ruby, but Ruby simply burst straight through it and then hit Ravage with her corkscrew attack, immediately rushing back and striking him in the back with her scythe once before jumping up into the air as the whirlwind hit him full-on. The winds battered and thrashed Ravage around before he let out a yell as a blue aura engulfed him.

"Limit break!" Ravage's aura dispelled Ruby's whirlwind. Ruby's eyes widened just as Ravage leapt up after her. She couldn't react in time and was caught off guard by a rising upper-slash from Ravage with his katana. Ravage proceeded to dash past Ruby repeatedly, striking her from multiple directions in rapid succession before flying up past her and readying the final blow. He raised his katana above his head, holding it with both hands. Ruby looked up to see Ravage begin his descent as his blue aura swarmed over his sword and stopped covering him. Ruby was hit head-on with Ravage's downwards strike and the two crashed into the arena floor below with a small 10 metre blue explosion raging out up in the moment of impact.

* * *

"A less powerful variation of the attack he used on me during our sparring match." Raine smiled. "He didn't have the time to go all out it seems."

"Pretty flashly move." Yang commented. "But Ruby can take it."

"So it seems." Raine nodded.

* * *

Ravage was sent flying out of the smoke by a kick from Ruby, the kitsune tumbling along the ground as Ruby stumbled out of the clearing smoke, on her last legs. She used Crescent Rose for support and groaned as she rubbed her head. Ravage pushed himself back up and coughed a little before regaining his balance. His energy reading was 24%. He smiled as Ruby prepared to continue the fight, the cheerful teen chuckling weakly.

"And this round is over." Glynda announced. "Ruby Rose's Aura has dropped below 15%." Ravage and Ruby looked over to the screen displaying their status. Ravage and Ruby looked back to another and exchanged smiles.

"Heheh... guess I ain't winning this one..." Ruby chuckled again. "And there go my legs..." She fell face-first onto the ground, nearly passing out. "Owww..." Ruby groaned, face to the floor. Ravage sheathed his katana and returned to a normal stance, his bruises and scuffs disappearing as his fiery aura flickered over him and he fully recovered: his power level rising briefly so he could better restore himself, returning to Ruby's level afterwards.

"Heh, better luck next time. That was really fun, Ruby, thanks." Ravage took a half-bow. "Not quite Tidea but it's been a while since I've went up against a skilled scythe wielder. Ya got a lot of potential in you." He added, rising back up. "I can't wait until you unlock it." He reached into the hammerspace pocket that was the red pouch tied to his left thigh and pulled out a kind of green bean. Ruby pushed herself up, rubbing the back of her head. "Here." Ravage threw the bean towards Ruby. She caught it with both hands. "Eat it." Ravage smiled and nodded. Ruby nodded back and ate the bean whole. Within an instant she was back on her feet, as good as ever. "Little treat from another verse."

"I... I feel incredible!" Ruby exclaimed. "That's amazing." She added, grinning as she jumped about.

"Works every time." Ravage folded his arms and smiled back.


	26. Day 3: Weiss Schnee

Ravage cracked his neck from side to side before tugging at his tank top's collar as Weiss made her way onto the arena stage, which had been fixed back up by Glynda during the short intermission between Ravage's match with Ruby and his upcoming one with Weiss. Ravage looked over to Weiss as she came to a stop a few metres across from him. The kitsune smiled briefly and nodded. His energy readings were still loaded up on the screen off to his left and Weiss' right. Weiss nodded back as her Aura readings were loaded up and then displayed on the screen. Weiss pointed her rapier Myrtenaster at Ravage as he moved to assume his battle stance, wrapping his right hand around his sheathed katana's hilt. Weiss pulled her rapier back, holding it next to the right side of her face with the blade still pointed towards Ravage. Ravage narrowed his eyes as flames briefly flickered over him. He seemed really serious this time around, no telltale signs of his usual laid back persona. Weiss raised her left brow, this change in character had caught her a little off guard. Was Ravage just playing some kind of mind-game with her? Ravage took note of Weiss' mild confusion and eased up just a little.

"Sorry, it's just you have an affinity for ice based Dust..." Ravage spoke up. "I can't help but be a bit tense, especially at this power level."

"You don't like ice?" Weiss replied, her eyes widening a little.

"I have a very debilitating reaction to ice magic and powers, it's a family trait unfortunately. This weakness of mine of course gets worse the more of my power I hold back." Ravage explained. "Hell, the one time I actually tried to use ice powers myself I almost ended up in a coma because I hadn't been at sufficient enough power level for my body to be able to handle it." He noticed Weiss looked visibly concerned, the girl briefly glancing aside. "But I don't want you holding back."

"What?" Weiss looked back to Ravage with a bit of shock.

"The threat excites me." Ravage smirked. "You are going to be the most dangerous opponent I'll have faced whilst here so far. Not the strongest, not the best but the most dangerous for me to go up against. And that's what makes me look forward to our fight. Don't hold back, never go easy on me." He continued.

"Oh... okay..." Weiss still seemed a bit hesitant. "Are you..."

"Positive." Ravage cut her off. "Trust me, you'll really sting but I've survived some stuff you will never believe." He recalled. "Ice hurts sure but it's like one step out of possibly tens you'll need to go through to keep me down... and as if I'd ever let that happen anyway." Ravage reassumed his battle stance, tightening his grip on his sword.

"Alright." Weiss nodded, confident again, and reaffirmed her battle stance before narrowing her eyes. She and Ravage stared down. "I won't hold back!" Weiss dashed into battle, thrusting her rapier forward and flying towards Ravage. Ravage grinned and leapt into the air, flipping forward before summoning a demonic rune beneath his feet mid-flip that then sent him flying towards Weiss as he drew his katana from its scabbard. The tips of both of their blades collided, Ravage backflipped away and Weiss twirled around as she moved back. Ravage landed and raised his sword to parry Weiss' next thrust attack. He knocked her back and resheathed his blade before jumping up into the air and pulling his katana straight back out of its scabbard. Weiss narrowly blocked the strike with her rapier. Ravage landed back on the ground and the two struggled, their blades locked as they pushed against one another. Both Weiss and Ravage jumped back from each other before immediately dashing back and going in for another attack each, both going in for a slash against the other. Their swords collided and then jolted back off each other. Weiss went in for a quick stab, Ravage managed to block just in time. Weiss followed up with several more quick stabs: forcing Ravage onto the defensive. Ravage leapt into the air and flipped over Weiss, blocking her overhead strike as he passed over her. Ravage landed back down and slashed at Weiss, but Weiss countered with an attack of her own: the two swords clashing together again. Ravage pushed Weiss back and knocked her off balance then resheathed his sword and immediately redrew it, sending Weiss flying back with a quick-draw slash. Weiss summoned one of her glyphs to catch her as she flipped through the air, landing on it and then immediately launching herself off of it as if it was a wall as Ravage fired off a couple of summoned swords towards her. Weiss sliced straight through both of them and flipped forward to kick Ravage in the face, sending him tumbling back along the ground. Weiss dashed forward with a sword thrust and hit Ravage head-on as he jumped back onto his feet. Ravage was sent flying back through the air as Weiss proceeded to stab her rapier into the ground. A jagged pillar of ice erupted out of the ground and caught Ravage, enveloping him as it sprouted out of the ground. The kitsune was stuck, the screen off to the side displaying his energy metre rapidly dropping.

"AAAARRRGGGHHH!" Ravage destroyed the ice pillar around him as an aura of flames engulfed him, Ravage hanging in mid-air as he screamed whilst his fiery aura went wild. Weiss' eyes widened. Ravage dropped back onto the ground and continued to scream, though not as loudly. "Aaaaarrrrrggghhhh!" He clenched his fists with his arms at his sides as his aura scorched the floor beneath him and shuck the arena, his right eye's crimson pupil glowing with power as bio-electricity began to zap around him. Weiss stumbled about as Ravage used his fiery aura to cause havoc on the stage.

"He's distracted by his pain..." Weiss muttered. "I'll strike now!" Weiss pulled her rapier to up besides her face before thrusting it forwards and rushing towards Ravage. She then summoned several glyphs around the kitsune that shot her from one to the other and took her to behind Ravage: conserving her momentum as she turned to strike Ravage back with her thrust attack. Ravage stopped screaming and his aura and bio-electricity quickly disappeared. Weiss was caught off guard as Ravage's three tails wrapped around the blade of her rapier. "W-what?!" Weiss exclaimed. Ravage looked over his right shoulder and chuckled. "It was a trap?! AHHH!" Ravage lifted Weiss up into the air with his tails and started slamming her down around him before lifting her back up and slamming her down again. He then spun around, swinging Weiss around with him before letting go of her rapier and thus Weiss too: sending her flying into the air. Ravage sprinted after her and jumped up into the air. Weiss shuck her head as she recovered just in time to see Ravage flying at her feet-first. "Wh...?!" Weiss was cut off when Ravage dropkicked her in the gut.

* * *

Ruby, Blake and Yang winced collectively as Ravage landed the dropkick.

"I felt that." Ruby muttered.

* * *

Weiss stumbled back onto her feet as Ravage pulled his katana out of its scabbard after taking it off of his back.

"En garde." Ravage smirked as he pointed his weapon at Weiss. Weiss narrowed her eyes before pulling her rapier up to beside her face again. The two stared down. They rushed towards one another, Ravage wrapping both hands around his katana as he charged towards Weiss. Weiss brought her rapier up to guard against Ravage's first attack, a leaping slash. Ravage jumped back and then performed a backflip upon landing to avoid Weiss' sword thrust, using his tails' tips to parry the blade and knock Weiss back as he backflipped away. Weiss summoned a glyph behind her and used it to propel herself at Ravage. Ravage narrowly dodged Weiss as she flew st him, blocking her sword slash with his blade before knocking her off of her feet with a sweep-kick. Weiss managed to block Ravage's follow-up sword slash and flipped through the air sideways to get away before landing safely on the ground and skidding to a halt. Ravage was already above her. Weiss used another glyph to propel herself backwards as Ravage came down with his sword. Then she summoned another two glyphs, one below Ravage to launch him upwards and one above to catch him. Ravage was slammed into the mid-air glyph as Weiss stabbed her rapier into the floor. A 2nd jagged ice pillar burst out of the ground beneath Ravage but this time the kitsune was able to dodge the attack, using one of his demonic runes to propel himself out of the ice pillar's way. The ice pillar proceeded to fly up into the air and took the form of a giant fist. Ravage skidded to a halt and resheathed his katana. Weiss pulled her rapier out of the ground and pointed it towards Ravage. The ice fist flew straight towards the little demon. Ravage pulled his right arm back as its yellow flesh pulsed with power. The spectral copy of Ravage's demon arm formed above the arm itself, growing to match the size of Weiss' ice fist. "Hah!" Ravage punched the air and the spectral arm flew forward. The two giant fists clashed between Ravage and Weiss and Weiss' ice fist was quickly overpowered and destroyed by the spectral fist of Ravage. Ravage dashed forward and leapt through the mist as ice shards scattered everywhere, drawing his katana from its scabbard as he spun forward 360 degrees through the air towards Weiss. Weiss raised her rapier to block the attack, retaliating with a vertical slice that Ravage avoided by jumping back from. He landed and dashed straight back, Weiss blocking each of his strikes with her blade before going in for slices of her own, a few stabs thrown in as well: all attacks which Ravage parried and blocked in return before resheathing his katana after knocking Weiss off balance with a sword beam. Weiss skidded backwards as Ravage drew his sword. Weiss quickly summoned a glyph in front of her to absorb the attack, thrusting forwards as it shattered apart afterwards and sending Ravage flying back. A large yellow glyph with a clock motif appeared underneath Weiss' feet as Ravage tumbled along the ground, her speed being enhanced as she prepared to use more ice Dust: her rapier glowing with power as she charged up. Ravage stumbled back onto his feet and shuck his head as Weiss readied her attack.

"Prepare!" Weiss exclaimed, moving her left leg behind her right as a misty ice aura engulfed her. Ravage looked over to her and grinned. He summoned forth a demonic rune behind him, jumping onto it as if it was a wall and hanging in place on it as he once again resheathed his katana whilst an aura of flames fired up around him, the embers drifting up off of him. Ravage and Weiss stared down, eyes narrowed and respective rune and glyph continuing to power up.

"Ready!" Ravage's rune shot him forward at a lightning fast speed, a blazing trail left behind the kitsune as he flew towards Weiss. Weiss shot forward thanks to her glyph, sliding forward as ice covered the floor beneath her. Ravage began to draw his katana from its scabbard. Weiss created a little ice ramp beneath her and launched herself up into the air so she was level with Ravage: readying her rapier as they flew straight for one another. The two collided, ice and fire meeting and clashing head-on just like Weiss and Ravage. A massive shockwave was sent out upon the moment of impact, followed closely by shards of ice and flickers of flame flying out from the centre of the clash. Ravage and Weiss repeatedly had their blaees meet, the two jumping around in the centre of the chaos from glyph and rune to glyph and rune. Another large shockwave burst out from the centre of the chaotic duel and Ravage and Weiss flew past one another. They both landed and skidded to a halt, spinning around 180 degrees as they skidded along so as to face each other. The two came to a stop. Weiss smiled and Ravage smirked. Ravage fell onto his left knee, taking his left hand off of his katana as he held the sword in both hands, his right arm dropping afterwards. His energy reading was shooting down rapidly due to the ice based attacks Weiss had landed. 16%. It stopped at 16%. Ravage looked up and chuckled. He was a master of quick-draw. Weiss' eyes widened as she looked from the screen to Ravage. Ravage stood back up and held his sword's scabbard out in front of him. Weiss reassumed her battle stance. Ravage twirled his katana around in his right hand before resheathing the blade in front of him.

"Huh...? Urrgh..." Weiss fell onto her knees, using her rapier for support as the realisation dawned upon her. Her Aura dropped like a rock until it landed on 18%. Glynda didn't call the match just yet. "Huh?" Weiss looked up. "Hah!" Weiss jumped back onto her feet and turned to face Ravage upon seeing she wasn't out just yet. "En garde!" Weiss smirked. Just one of Ravage's summoned swords struck her in the face, exploding and sending her flying back. Her Aura dropped to 12% as she came to a screeching halt on her back.

"Humph." Ravage ran his right hand through his head-fur, spiking it back up.

"Oooowww..." Weiss weakly groaned, laying defeated on the floor. Ravage reached into the red pouch strapped to his left thigh yet again, reaching in for the same kind of bean he had given Ruby upon her defeat.


	27. Day 3: Blake Belladonna

Ravage twirled a summoned sword above his right hand as Blake stepped up onto the stage, walking across the arena until she was stood before the kitsune. Ravage clenched his right fist and the summoned sword shattered and exploded: the remains disappearing immediately afterwards as Ravage lowered his arm. Blake wrapped her right hand around the hilt of Gambol Shroud. Ravage moved his left foot behind his right and wrapped his right hand around the hilt of his sheathed katana. Blake remained in place, stood like a statue.

"Feeling nervous? Just go with the flow." Ravage smirked.

"Not nervous. Just... never mind." Blake tightened her grip on her weapon. "Let's begin."

"Sure." Ravage nodded. He disappeared from sight only to reappear behind Blake a split-second after. He held his sheathed katana in his left hand as he ran his right through his head-fur. "Let's begin." The two leapt up into the air, backflipped and drew their katanas from their respective sheath and scabbard before clashing their blades as they were upside-down. Blake and Ravage repeatedly swung both their swords and their swords' scabbard and sheath at one another: perfectly countering each other as they spiralled towards the ground. Ravage resheathed his blade as Blake did the same with her sword and summoned a demonic rune between them as they flipped around. The rune launched both Ravage and Blake away from each other, the two flying back before landing on the ground. Ravage spun around as he skidded to a halt and prepared to draw his katana whilst Blake pulled off multiple backwards somersaults. Ravage jumped and flipped forwards, sideways before drawing his katana and sending several sword beams flying towards the Faunus. Blake dashed forward, slicing through each sword beam before leaping up into the air over the last, leaving behind an afterimage with each sword beam destroyed. Ravage looked up to see Blake fly at him with her katana transforming into pistol form and then kusarigama mode. Ravage jumped back as Blake dashed towards the ground and then swung her blade around her, firing off pistol shots to redirect the blade on the ribbon, as she advanced towards Ravage. The kitsune repeatedly blocked Blake's rapid flurry of attacks whilst moving back before jumping up into the air and flipping over Blake. Blake pulled her blade back in before spinning around to block Ravage's strike with her sheath. Ravage backflipped as Blake swung at him with her katana, summoning a demonic rune behind him to launch himself back off like a wall. Blake fired off several pistol shots at Ravage as he landed on the rune and the kitsune deflected them all with his katana before returning it to its scabbard. He launched himself back off of his demonic rune whilst firing several summoned swords towards Blake. Blake avoided each one, leaving several afterimages behind before jumping up and delivering a flying kick to Ravage's face, sending him flying straight back as she landed safely on the ground. Ravage tumbled along the ground before stabbing his sword into the floor to halt his momentum. Blake reappeared directly in front of him and swung her sheathed sword at him, Ravage narrowly dodging the attack by jumping into the air and running up Gambol Shroud. Ravage flipped over Blake and kicked her in the back of the head, her face smashing into the butt of the hilt of Ravage's floor-imbedded katana before Ravage knocked her off of her feet by sliding into her. As Blake flipped uncontrollably in mid-air Ravage pulled his sword out of the ground and leapt into the air to slice Blake repeatedly: launching Blake away with the final hit and then resheathing his blade as he landed back on the arena stage. He was then immediately pulled up into the air by Gambol Shroud in kusarigama mode, yanked up to Blake who proceeded to unleash a lightning fast flurry of katana and sheath strikes on Ravage in mid-air: followed by dashing back and leaving behind a fire afterimage that then exploded and blasted Ravage away. As Ravage stumbled back onto his feet Blake repeatedly dashed past him, leaving behind afterimages that Ravage cut through whilst trying to hit her, and slashed away at the kitsune. On the verge of the 5th strike Ravage recovered fully and ducked under Blake's attack: followed by tripping her up with a sweeping kick and then striking her with his katana's scabbard twice after she quickly jumped back onto her feet, followed by launching her up into the air with a rising sword slash. Blake retaliated with a swipe of her weapon but Ravage had already moved and so all she hit was an afterimage. She frowned. Ravage reappeared behind her but Blake turned around and blocked his attack in time. They landed back on the ground and Blake tried repeatedly to hit Ravage: who kept on dodging out of the way and leaving behind afterimages.

"So this is what it feels like." Blake muttered as she cut through an afterimage of Ravage doing a handstand. "Irritating." Ravage dashed straight back towards her and struck her with a rising uppercut.

"Ravryu...!" Ravage was cut off by Blake hitting him back with several purple crescent beams from both her katana and its sheath. Ravage hit the ground face first and grinded to a halt. "Oww." He sounded like he was more irritated than hurt. Blake put her sword back in its sheath as Ravage pushed himself back up and rubbed his face. A bit of blood trickled from his nose and he swiftly wiped it away, chuckling. He turned back around to face Blake and smirked. "What came first? The chicken or the egg?"

"Huh? What?" Blake raised her left brow. "That doesn't..."

"The giant spectral fist!" Ravage punched Blake with the spectral copy of his demon arm and sent the Faunus flying into the arena's invisible barrier, Blake then bouncing straight back off of it and smashing into the ground. "Huh, didn't think that would actually work." He muttered, still smirking.

"That didn't make any sense." Blake pushed herself back onto her feet, stumbling a bit afterwards.

"It's called a distraction." Ravage snarked.

"It worked..." Blake remarked before rushing off towards the kitsune. Blake moved around and inbetween several summoned swords sent her way, jumped over Ravage quick-draw attack, dashed out of the way of his follow-up dimensional cut but was then sent tumbling back by another quick-draw attack from Ravage: struck multiple times in the blink of an eye. Ravage quickly holstered his sheathed katana on his back and flew at Blake as she jumped back onto her feet with a right hook ready: his arm surrounded by bio-electricity as he rushed towards the Faunus. Unfortunately for him Blake managed to dodge in time: leaving his demon arm stuck in an ice afterimage of her. His right eye widened upon the realization and he screamed in shock before quickly pulling his arm out of the ice and then blasting it apart with a yellow energy sphere. Blake dive-kicked Ravage in the back of his head, just before his domed head's tip and after the end of his three rows of head spikes, sending his face crashing into the floor as she jumped back into the air. Before he could get back up Ravage was yanked into the air so Blake could use another dive-kick on him, this time hitting him in the spine before she swung him around in mid-air and then sent him flying away with several shots from her weapon's pistol form. Ravage flipped around and summoned a demonic rune to catch himself, launching himself straight back towards Blake as she landed back on the floor. Blake twirled her katana and sheath around before going into a sprint towards Ravage as he flew at her. She leapt up and swung both her sword and its sheath down at Ravage as he drew his katana from its scabbard whilst flying towards her. The two clashed and the resulting shockwave kicked up a small cloud of dust around them. Ravage flipped over Blake and she spun around to block his next strike, knocking him back afterwards. She sent out multiple purple crescent blasts towards the kitsune and Ravage dashed around them before reappearing in front of Blake. He jumped over her first attack and kicked her in the face before slicing at her and resheathing his sword afterwards. An afterimage. Blake dashed at Ravage from his right and he parried her attack before going in for another slice. Another afterimage. Ravage blocked Blake's attack from behind before backflipping over her to avoid her follow-up sword beam, resheathing his sword behind his back and then immediately redrawing it to send Blake flying with a sword beam of his own. Blake rolled along the floor before jumping back onto her feet as Ravage repeatedly quick-drew his katana to send several sword beams flying at the Faunus. Blake sliced through each one as they came at her before she was surrounded by the glowing pulses of Ravage's dimensional cut attack. "Huh?!" The pulses shattered and exploded around Blake. She flew out of the smoke, swinging her weapon around her, her blade on the end of a long ribbon. Ravage was struck repeatedly by Blake with the rapid flurry of attacks as she advanced.

"Harrgh!" Ravage let out a shockwave from his body, pushing Blake back before calling several summoned swords to his aid: three on his left and three on his right. Blake skidded backwards to a halt whilst taking several shots at Ravage, but the kitsune vanished from her line of sight and reappeared directly in front of her to strike Blake several times with his katana: each strike warping one of his summoned swords to behind Blake until he had hit her six times in total. Ravage turned his back on the stunned Blake and proceeded to resheath his sword in front of his face. All of his summoned swords rushed Blake at once, exploding upon contact. Ravage turned back around only to see a half destroyed stone replica of Blake in her place. Blake flying kicked him in the back, sending him crashing through her statue, before yanking him back to her, slamming him into the ground after launchinghim overhead and then smacking him away with her sheath. Ravage tumbled along the ground as Blake reverted her weapon to sword mode and then resheathed it. The kitsune stumbled back up onto his feet as Blake caught her breath. Ravage was rather worn-out as well. They stared at one another from across the arena before nodding and taking back up battle-ready stances. Ravage moved his left foot behind his right as Blake did the same. The kitsune wrapped his right hand around his sheathed katana's hilt just after Blake moved Gambol Shroud to her left side and wrapped her right hand around her sheathed blade's hilt.

* * *

"Huh?" Ruby was a bit puzzled.

"They are partaking in a honorable last stand-off." Raine informed the girl, speaking up.

"Oooh." Ruby nodded.

* * *

Neither Ravage or Blake moved an inch. They stared down, completely still with controlled breath, as they gripped the hilts of their respective sheathed weapons. Blake narrowed her eyes as Ravage narrowed his right eye. Complete silence overtook the room. Ravage's ears twitched. Blake tightened her grip on her katana. Everyone waited for them to make their move. Like lightning they set off, moving in the blink of an eye as they flew towards one another whilst drawing their swords in unison. Kitsune and Faunus passed one another within an instant, both leaving behind afterimages the moment they collided. Blake came to a stop where Ravage once stood with her blade in out to her right as Ravage came to a halt where Blake had once stood with his sword out to his right. Their afterimages, in the poses they had took upon the moment of contact, faded away. Ravage and Blake twirled their katanas around before resheathing them in front of their face at the exact same time. Click! Blake fell to her knees before face-planting the floor, her Aura reading dropping to 10%. Ravage smiled weakly and almost fell onto his knees as his energy reading dropped to 16%, luckily for him he kept his footing however. A sweat drop rolled down the side of his face as he took a deep breath. Blake pushed herself back up as Ravage turned back around to face her.

"That was fun." He smiled, reaching into his red pouch, his 'bag of holding'.


	28. Day 3: Yang Xiao Long

Ravage stretched his legs, leaning from side to side, as Yang took to the stage. The kitsune jumped back onto both feet as she came to a stop across from him. He cracked his neck as Yang cracked her knuckles, her Aura readings loading up onto the screen overlooking the arena. Yang grinned as Ravage chuckled and rubbed the underside of his nose with his left index finger. He proceeded to wrap his left hand around the scabbard which hung at his hip and held his katana. Ravage then immediately threw it away, the sheathed blade spinning through the air before the scabbard end was imbedded in a wall. Yang raised her right brow as she looked over to Ravage's discarded weapon.

* * *

"Huh... he really was looking forward to this one." Raine muttered. Ruby smiled. "Then again, he does respect blood knights and proud warrior types the most."

"Oh he's in for a treat." Weiss responded.

* * *

"No weapons but myself for this one." Ravage grinned, revealing one of his little fangs. Yang looked back to him, putting her right hand on her hip.

"Well okay then, fine by me." She smirked.

"Don't get too cocky, I've seen some fighters in my time, and very rarely do I lose." Ravage chuckled.

"Well, look who's talking about getting cocky." Yang snarked. "Well I should warn you now, the more damage I take the tougher I get."

"I'm honestly not surprised that's your thing." Ravage replied. "You sure you didn't have black hair and a monkey tail as a kid?"

"That's oddly specific, but no." Yang rested her head in her hands, putting her right leg over her left.

"Ah well. Double the power..." Ravage cracked his knuckles. "Twice the fall." He and Yang started walking towards one another.

"Hah. Now there's a joke." Yang and Ravage stopped directly in front of each other. She moved her left foot behind her right and he moved his right behind his left. Yang activated Ember Celica, her gauntlets forming over her forearms as Ravage ran his left hand through his head fur.

"You haven't even heard the punchline." Ravage responded to Yang's previous statement as the two fistbumped. They then both raised their arms like boxers and stared down. "It's a real kicker." And with that he reappeared behind Yang in the blink of an eye and sent her flying with a spin kick, as in he spun sideways through the air before landing behind her and then immediately hitting with the kick.

'Did you just spin kick her?' Ravage's grandfather asked inside the kitsune's head.

'My body, I do what I want.' Ravage retorted.

'Actually it was pretty... oh holy...!' Yang dashed back and punched Ravage in the side of his face, blasting the kitsune with a round from one of gauntlets and thus sending him flying. Ravage smashed into the ground and screeched to a halt on his face.

'Damn it grandpa!'

"Hah!" Yang smirked. Ravage jumped back onto his feet as Yang ran towards him. He rubbed his face whilst Yang went into a flying punch. Ravage looked over his shoulder at the last second. Yang's eyes widened as he effortlessly moved his head out of the way. "Huh?!" Ravage elbowed her in the gut as her right fist passed his head. Then out of nowhere Yang wrapped her left arm around Ravage's neck.

"Wait... what?" Ravage's right eye widened. Yang proceeded to suplex Ravage into the ground.

'She just suplexed you.'

'I know!' Ravage was kicked in the gut and sent tumbling along the floor. He stopped and pushed himself back up as Yang leapt into the air and pulled her left arm back. Ravage raised his right arm and blocked the attack: Yang's fist colliding with his demon arm instead of his face. The two grinned as a shockwave burst out from the collision, a small crater forming around the two.

'Ravage, why is your power level slightly increasing?' Ravage's grandfather inquired.

'She gets stronger with each bit of damage taken, remember? I'm just keeping up, raising my power each time her's goes up so we can stay even.' Ravage replied. Yang and Ravage jumped back from one another, skidding backwards across the crater.

'Huh. Well, I'll go back to resting now.' Ravage and Yang's right fist and left fist respectively collided, the ground cracking up around them as their fists met.

'I wondered why you were so lively.' Ravage responded whilst his left fist and Yang's right collided like their others. They gripped onto each other's hands tightly and began to grapple, Yang trying to overpower Ravage and Ravage trying to overpower Yang.

"Grr..." Yang growled as they remained even in their struggle. An aura of crimson flames engulfed Ravage whilst golden flames engulfed Yang. The ground cracked up further around them as they grappled, their flames climbing higher and tihy pieces of rubble starting to float up around their auras. They bashed their foreheads together and continued to push against one another. Knowing they were even the two finally jumped back from one another, Yang firing off a few rounds from her gauntlets as she flew back. Ravage had landed before Yang and so he jumped and dashed around the shots before disappearing and reappearing in front of Yang as she landed back on the arena. Yang caught Ravage's left hook, elbowed him in the face before uppercutting him into the air. Ravage blocked her follow-up right hook as she flew up with him, retaliating with a knee to the face before backflipping away. They landed back on the ground at the same time and immediately flew at one another with right and left hooks. Both hit. Yang's left fist against Ravage's right cheek and Ravage's right fist against Yang's left cheek. Cross counter. Ravage and Yang growled and pushed their faces against one another's fists, looking at one another. Yang went in with a right hook, which Ravage jumped back from. She followed up with a flurry of punches, Ravage ducking and dodging left and right before countering with a straight kick. Yang barely managed to block the attack, skidding backwards from the force of it. Ravage jumped up and unleashed a spinning kick, flying forward with his right leg out. Yang was struck repeatedly in the face before Ravage followed up with a pinwheel kick and then an uppercut that launched Yang backwards. She tumbled along the floor before punching her right hand into the ground to stop herself. She looked up and for a split second her eyes turned blood red. Yang stood up and grinned. Ravage chuckled before reassuming his fighting stance. Yang charged him and Ravage dodged around her flying punch to deliver a right hook to Yang's face only for Yang to elbow him in the face, deliver two quick punches to his chest and then knock him away with a kick to the side of the head. Ravage screeched to a halt before regaining his balance, the top half of his body going forward until he wasn't arched backwards anymore. He wiped the blood from his lip.

"Not bad. Can I have another?" He chuckled. He jumped over Yang's dashing punch and landed on her hand, balancing on one foot. He took a half bow.

"How even...?" Yang muttered to herself. "Get down here!" She grabbed him by the ankle with her left hand and swung him overhead.

"Ahh!" Ravage's right eye widened as Yang went to slam him into the ground. He put both arms out in front and stopped himself being slammed down, proceeding to free his right leg from Yang's grasp before wrapping both of his legs around Yang's left and then flipping her over him before jumping up after her and kneeing her in the face. Yang responded by wrapping her legs around Ravage's waist, crushing his sides as she pulled herself towards him and then started to repeatedly punch the kitsune in the face as they started spiralling towards the ground. "Oww, oow, oow, oow, oow..." Ravage repeated himself with each punch before Yang let go of him and blasted him away with rounds from both of her gauntlets, flipping around afterwards to land safely on the ground as Ravage spun through the air uncontrollably. Yang folded her arms and smirked as Ravage regained control of himself. Yang leapt up into the air before rushing straight back down and punching the ground with enough force to send a tremor through the stage: a chunk of the arena raising up behind Ravage as he regained control. Ravage smashed into the raised ground and was stuck in its side when the smoke cleared. "Yeah... felt that..." Ravage pulled himself out of the debris, landing back on the ground and noticed his left arm was bent out of place. Yang's eyes widened.

"Are you okay!? I..." Yang was cut off.

"Hold on, don't worry. Happens all the time." Ravage snapped it back into place before wiggling his flngers around. "That felt good." He muttered. "Where were we?"

"Okay then..." Yang stood there in disbelief.

"Hey, you're the first one out of your group to do any real damage, have pride in that. You might just be as good as a Tifa... well, not a Tifa in her prime but a Geostigma crisis era Tifa is a safe bet." Ravage smiled. "Now, let's get serious." He rushed up to Yang on all fours.

"Huh?!" Yang saw Ravage rush past her on all fours, spinning around as he turned and skidded along: claws tearing through the floor. Ravage leapt up and went in with a flying punch. Yang dodged the attack and countered with a right hook. Ravage retaliated with a kick to the gut. Yang blasted him in the face with a round from her left gauntlet. Ravage tripped Yang up with his left-hand tail. Yang kicked him in the chest with both feet as she jumped back up and he went in for a downwards punch. The two flew through the air with Yang elbowing Ravage in the face before the kitsune prevented her unleashing a flurry of punches with a roundhouse to the side of the head. Both then backflipped away from one another and Yang proceeded to fire round after round from her gauntlets. Ravage sliced through each one with his tails before flipping over the last and then punching it straight back at Yang: her own shot blasting her in the face. Yang flipped repeatedly through the air before regaining control and skidding to a halt as Ravage pulled both of his arms back.

"Dakka, dakka, dakka, dakka, dakka!" Ravage thrusted both arms forward repeatedly, sending out yellow energy blast after energy blast at Yang. Yang dodged around each one, even sliding underneath one, whilst running towards Ravage. Ravage stopped the barrage and pulled back both hands to the left side of his head: charging up the finishing attack. Yang's eyes widened as Ravage thrusted both arms forward. A yellow energy beam rushed towards Yang from the palms of both of Ravage's hands. Yang rolled out of the way of the beam at the last second and Ravage stopped firing. "Damn it..." Yang reached him and Ravage narrowly blocked her flying kick. Yang backflipped and fired two more blasts at him, Ravage smacking them away as Yang landed. She capitalised on his opening and struck him on the right side of his face as a trail of flames was blazed behind her fist. Ravage flipped around in place and Yang followed up with a right hook which then lead into her repeatedly punching him all over his little body before she sent him flying with an uppercut.

"How'd you let your guard down so eas..." Ravage dive-kicked Yang in the face as she gloated, following up with several punches and then a tail slam that sent her tumbling backwards.

"Hah. Irony." Ravage brushed the dirt off of his right shoulder. Yang chuckled and pushed herself back up, stumbling onto her feet.

"Congratulations." She smirked. "You just activated my trap card."

"Ooooh yes." Ravage fist pumped the air, looking aside.

"Let's get dangerous." Yang was engulfed in golden flames as she clenched her fists.

"Power up sequence!" Ravage grinned. "Oh I love these." Crimson flames and yellow sparks engulfed him.

"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!" Yang began to power up, her eyes turning blood red as she held her arms at her sides, fists clenched, and her hair waved upwards in the winds created by her aura.

"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!" Ravage was in very much the same pose as crimson flames wrapped around him and bio-electricity zapped around his body, his right eye's crimson pupil glowing with power.

"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh-AAAAARRRGGGHHH!" Yang continued to power up, the ground cracking around her and small little pieces of debris beginning to float around her aura.

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" Ravage screamed in union with Yang, the ground beneath him cracking up as well, along with the little pieces of debris floating up around his aura.

* * *

"I've not seen Yang power up this much in ages." Ruby muttered. "I hope she doesn't overwork herself."

"Humph, I'd be more worried about Ravage doing that." Raine replied. "He's getting too carried away and he hasn't rested at all inbetween the fights. Wouldn't normally be a problem but with the fact he skipped 2nd breakfast, all the damage he's taken and his body at such low levels of power: it's all going to pile up."

"Will he be okay?" Blake asked.

"Oh it'll mean practically nothing really... other than him most likely losing. But I think he wants it like this, or he could just have been overconfident or been to invested in the heat of the moment. Regardless, challenge is good in his books. Sure he'll keep the powers even most of the time but anything else is nearly always fair game for limitations to him. Depends on what he feels like doing really." Raine answered.

"Why would he do this?" Weiss wondered.

"You don't understand yet?" Raine looked over to Weiss. She smiled. "He's a creature of chaos. Ravage doesn't care about winning or losing in fights like these, he just wants to fight and have fun. The tougher it is for him, on him, the better." Raine looked back to Ravage and Yang. "His only concern in life now beyond me, bless him, is fighting... and eating... mostly fighting. Mostly."

"He really is a natural fighter..." Blake folded her arms.

"Of course." Raine nodded. "He was 'born' like that. It's written into his DNA, quite literally biological design." She added.

"Design?" Weiss raised a brow. Raine chuckled.

* * *

"ARRGGGHHH!" Yang and Ravage thrusted their arms out to the side, sending the floating debris around them flying off in all directions as concussive blasts burst out from their fiery auras before they calmed down. The two stared each other in the eye with grins on their faces. Ravage cracked his knuckles and then his neck as Yang ran her left hand through her hair before smashing her fists together.

"Now we can have some real fun." She narrowed her eyes.

"Ladies first." Ravage chuckled. Yang smirked. She closed the distance between herself and Ravage almost instantly, disappearing from sight and reappearing directly in front of the kitsune: Yang delivered a swift kick to Ravage's face, knocking him back. Yang reappeared ahead of Ravage as he flew backwards and kneed him in the spine as he reached her, catching him on her leg. Ravage's right eye widened and his pupil shrinked. Yang dashed around Ravage with incredible speed as he hung in the air, skidding to a halt and then delivering a rising uppercut to the little demon's chin, launching both herself and him into the air. Yang followed up with a right hook but Ravage blocked the strike with his left arm. "This is where the fun begins." He blasted Yang away with a palm thrust with his right hand before launching himself after her with a demonic rune. A trail of golden flames was left behind by Yang as she flew back through the air, contrasting with the crimson flames left behind by Ravage as he flew after her. Ravage went in for an elbow drop on Yang but she fired off a round from her left gauntlet and avoided the attack. Ravage landed safely on all fours and looked back and above to see Yang flying at him with a punch ready. Ravage did a backwards cartwheel and Yang's right fist smashed into the ground. Ravage dashed back and attempted to dropkick her but Yang blocked the strike with both arms before knocking Ravage back from her. Ravage flipped backwards through the air, firing off multiple fireballs at Yang in the process. Yang dodged around all of them and struck Ravage with a dashing left hook to the face as he landed. Ravage retaliated with a right hook. For a moment they stood in place but then both jumped back from one another, landing a good few metres away. Yang rushed forward and pressed the attack, Ravage jumping back from punch after punch before leaping up and grabbing Yang by the head with both hands. He slammed her face into the ground before hitting her back with a dashing punch as she bounced back off of the ground. Yang flew back but managed to recover in time to land back on her feet and then dodge a fireball from Ravage. Yang responded by firing off a round from her right gauntlet. Ravage backhanded the shot away and then sprinted towards Yang. Yang ducked under his first attack, a tail slam, but was quickly forced onto the defensive when Ravage started throwing kick after kick her way. Ravage sent out a kick, Yang took a step back, hopping from one foot at her front to the other. Yang grabbed Ravage's left foot after one more of kick and tossed him into the air before blasting him away with shots from both her gauntlets at once. Ravage crashed into the ground and created a small trench as he grinded along on his back: debris proceeding to rain down upon him as he stopped. Yang reloaded her gauntlets with explosive rounds and proceeded to smash her fists together afterwards as Ravage burst out of the rubble: his aura flaring wildly for a brief second. Ravage started walking forward, quickly moving his head out of the way as one round flew past him, narrowly missing his face. It exploded behind him. He grinned.

"Hrrr-aaaaarrrgghhh!" Ravage quickly powered up to match Yang before flying forward as the blast raged out behind him. Yang blocked his elbow and their left forearms clashed: the ground cracking up beneath Yang. Yang struck Ravage with a right hook to the face, followed by an elbow to the nose and then a kick to the head: knocking him back again. Yang fired off another explosive round which hit Ravage whilst he was in the air and then out of the smoke he came dashing: going into a wild frenzy. Yang countered his first punch with a straight punch of her own, a shockwave bursting out from between their fists. Yang and Ravage proceeded to engage in a back and forth, both fighters throwing of flurry of punches at one another, most of their attacks hitting each other though they also both occasionally dodged the odd hit as they engaged in the violent flurry: the two picking up speed as they continued to lay the smackdown on one another, neither Ravage or Yang relenting as they punched the living daylights out of each other with ever increasing speed. Their attacks became blurs as the ground cracked up beneath them and their lightning punches created torrents of wind around them. Yang and Ravage jumped back at the same time and fired off an explosive round and energy blast respectively. They proceeded to dash into the fading explosion almost immediately afterwards. Their clash dispersed the smoke and dust around them: Yang's left fist pressed firmly against Ravage's right fist as they stood in the dispersing cloud. Yang grinned and Ravage smirked. They were loving every second of this. Ravage needed this amount of fun. Sure Yang wasn't the strongest he'd fought on this vacation but she was his most respectable opponent on the basis of her more blood knight tendencies. He heavily respected those who enjoyed a good fight. It was his nature as one who had come to live on the thrill of battle. There were a few ways to gain Ravage's respect and friendship easily. Such as the aforementioned appreciation of a good fight, be generally fun to hang around and know of or cook good food, and Yang had checked off all three of those listed criteria. Yang grabbed Ravage's face and slammed his head into the ground before running along with the kitsune still in her grasp, she then proceeded to throw him away before shooting explosive round after explosive round at him. The rounds kept onhitting him, wracking up the damage until Ravage flew up into the air, out of the chaos, with the aid of one of his runes. He summoned another rune and shot himself straight at Yang, striking her with a headbutt to the face, followed up by an elbow to the gut. Yang's wind was cut off and she stumbled back just before Ravage delivered a swift kick to her that sent her tumbling back along the ground. Ravage took the opportunity to catch his breath, wiping the sweat away as his fiery aura calmed down a little. Yang stumbled back onto her feet and coughed a little. She raised her fists back up.

"Come on... I ain't had enough fun yet." Yang chuckled. Ravage chuckled back. The left-hand fang he had lost grew back, as good as new.

"Took the words right outta my mouth." Ravage reassumed his fighting stance. The two charged one another, Yang rugby tackling Ravage and knocking him off balance. She followed up with several punches to his face. Ravage retaliated with a upwards tail slam, knocking Yang into the air. Yang fired off a few rounds at Ravage as she flipped back around. Ravage dodged them all before leaping up after Yang and punching her back down to the ground. She landed safely and caught Ravage's right foot as he tried to dive-kick her. She slammed him into the ground before kneeing him in the face and sending him flipping through the air. Ravage regained control of himself and skidde backwards to a halt. Yang flew at him with a dashing punch. Ravage dodged the strike and roundhouse kicked Yang in the back of the head. As Yang tumbled forward Ravage used his speed to disappear and reappear in front of her, going in for a palm thrust. Yang recovered just in time to block his attack, grabbing his left hand with her right as he thrusted it forwards. She pulled him in and delivered a left hook to his face which she went to follow up with a right only for Ravage to block the strike with his three tails. Ravage then punched her right in the stomach with his left fist followed by launching her and himself up into the air with a mighty rising uppercut. "Shin... Ravryuken!" Both flew up off the ground. Yang reeled her head back from the strike before recovering in time to stop Ravage's pinwheel kick with an explosive round to the face followed up with a kick to his chest. Yang backflipped away as Ravage flew back uncontrollably through the air before crashing into the ground below. Yang landed safely and rubbed her sore chin just as Ravage stumbled definitely back onto his feet, pushing a bit of rubble off of him as he got back up. Yang and Ravage stared down, their breaths heavy now. Neither could last much longer. Their battle auras, and in Ravage's case bio-electricity, slowly faded away as the two prepared to end their fight.

"I... ain't gonna... lose... not now..." Yang clenched her right fist in front of her face with a weak smirk. Ravage smiled.

"I'm just happy to be here... fighting..." He cracked his neck from left to right. "But alright... let's test your theory... before my legs give in..." Ravage took his first step forward. Yang took hers. Then their 2nd steps, then their 3rds and so on. With each step they took both of them picked up speed until they were in a steady run towards one another. Ravage pulled back his right arm and Yang hers. They skidded to a halt with their punches ready. They stopped and swung. Both Ravage and Yang's fists stopped before either one of them hit the other. There was a short silence between the two. Yang and Ravage chuckled and instead of punching one another they pushed their fists together and gave each other a fist-bump. "Not half bad..." Ravage smiled.

"Yeah..." Yang smiled back. They dropped to their knees and then collapsed onto the floor simultaneously. They were done, neither of them could go on any longer. They drifted off into unconsciousness with smiles on their faces.


	29. Day 3: The Familiar Unknown

Ravage pushed himself back onto his feet, stumbling around as he rose. His vision was blurry and he still felt a little weak in the legs. Ravage shuck his head and his vision started to become clear again. He stopped and took a moment to look around. He wasn't in Beacon Academy. He wasn't on the stage and the others were nowhere to be found. Ravage instead found himself in the middle of a forest, the lush green grass beneath his feet and a cool breeze blowing through his head fur and against his ears. The kitsune slowly looked around, scanning his surroundings whilst rubbing his right eye. He was definitely in a forest. The sun was shining down upon him from the clear blue sky above him and he was surrounded by nature, no doubt about it.

"Huh..." Ravage glanced from left to right before looking at the ground. "Well this is... oddly familiar. I think I've had this dream before." He looked around again. The distant sound of a gentle humming reached his ears, which then twitched in response. Ravage looked back to his front. He raised his right brow. Sounded like a child. Ravage began walking forwards, heading off towards the humming. It wasn't long until he found himself in a clearing, a clearing leading to a cliff. Near the edge was a small rock and on that rock sat a child. A little girl, humming and looking out to the horizon. Ravage walked over to her as she remained seated on the rock, looking out into the distance. She had long pure white hair that reached to past her shoulders, it was rather unkempt and messy with several bangs over her forehead. Her skin was a healthy caucasian, a slight bit tanner than Raine's for example, and she had yellow eyes with crimson pupils. The nails on her hands were rather sharp and her innocent smile revealed a little fang. She was dressed in a blue kimono with flames going up the sleeves and a red hem with a rose detailed along the front left side, a red hakama with an orange obi sash, with brown sandals on her feet and an orange scarf wrapped around her neck. Most notable her though was the little fox ears on her head and the pure white fox tail drifting up behind her. She was a kitsune like Ravage and his mother obviously. The little girl looked over to Ravage as he stood besides her, to her right. She smiled. She seemed familiar and Ravage almost instantly knew why. Ravage hadn't seen her in eons but as he had stated earlier, this dream was familiar. But even still, Ravage didn't truly know the child. He also didn't really care what she represented or meant even though he knew how dreams and thoughts affected the infinite reality that was the Multiverse.

"Hi." The little girl spoke up, her voice soft and filled with happiness. Ravage smiled back.

"Hello there." He replied.

"You wanna sit down?" The kitsune girl shifted over a little, offering Ravage a seat on the rock.

"Sure." Ravage took up her offer and sat down on the rock. The girl looked back out to the horizon. "Nice view." Ravage looked out to the horizon with her. The little girl nodded.

"Yep." She continued to stare off into the distance with a smile on her face. "I wanna see more like it when I grow up." Ravage raised his right brow in curiosity. "Not just here... in this world... in all of the others as well. I wanna see more beautiful views, meet interesting people."

"How'd you know about other worlds?" Ravage inquired. The girl looked back over to him, still smiling.

"You told me." She answered.

"Huh?" Ravage scratched his head.

"You probably don't remember... it was a long time ago, for you." The little girl added. "But that's okay, I know you don't dream often... and even when you do, there's no guarantee we'll meet."

"Well I've probably asked this before but, what are you?" Ravage responded.

"Just a kitsune, like you... well, more like your mom but, you know." The little girl shrugged. Ravage nodded.

"So how are you in my dreams?" Ravage asked another question.

"I dunno. But you're in mine as well. How else are we talking?" The girl replied.

"I was wondering when it'd get weird. If I'm in your dreams though, I'd say it's more likely for them to be nightmares." Ravage chuckled.

"Nah." The little girl giggled. "I don't think you're scary or bad. You're cute and cuddly actually."

"Great, another one..." Ravage rolled his eyes, though he actually wasn't bothered. The kitsune girl giggled again.

"You sound like old you." She remarked.

"Old me? What'd ya mean?" Ravage was genuinely pretty confused now. "I'm always short and forever young."

"Heheh. We'll see." The little girl made a peace sign with her left hand. Ravage was left perplexed. "You're still a good person as an old guy, even if you are grumpy. Remember that."

* * *

Ravage's right eye slowly opened and he found himself back in the real world, back in Beacon Academy. He pushed himself up off of the ground and then sat up, resting as he took a look around. Raine was standing next to him with a smile on her face.

"Knew you'd overwork yourself." Raine chuckled. Ravage rolled his eyes.

"That was fun..." Yang spoke up. Ravage looked over to his left. She'd got back up before him and was sitting a small distance away with the rest of Team RWBY around her. "I had a great time... you're pretty good." Yang added.

"Thanks. You're pretty good too." Ravage replied, reaching into his red pouch. "Here..." He tossed Yang one of the special green beans, keeping three for himself. He needed at least that many right now.

"Thanks." Yang gave a thumbs up. They chucked the beans into their mouths and were instantly better and recharged. "Sweet! I could go for round two right now!" Yang grinned.

"I'm still wondering how those beans work." Weiss muttered. Ravage chuckled, pushing himself onto his feet.

"There's always the 4v1." Ravage responded to Yang.

"Oh yeah, I'm up for that." Yang cracked her knuckles. She stopped and looked around. "We'd better let Glynda repair this place first though..."

"You two really made a mess." Blake commented.

"Anybody else up for a bite to eat?" Yang inquired. The others nodded.

"Speaking my language." Ravage smiled.

"So, uh, that match was a draw..." Ruby rubbed the back of her head, smiling awkwardly. "Do... I get to... pet you now?" Ruby tilted her head to the side a little. Raine broke into laughter. Ravage chuckled. "Ravage?" Ravage kept on chuckling, followed by the rest of Team RWBY joining in. "Ravage?" Ruby kept on prying.


	30. Day 3: Really Deep Pockets

"Huh, not half bad..." Ravage mumbled after chewing on and then swallowing a piece of steak as he sat at a table with Raine, Team RWBY and Team JNPR in the cafeteria. The steak itself was currently impaled on his right-hand tail's tip, his left-hand tail tip being used to cut it up. "So, how's everybody healing up?"

"Well, I feel like a million Lien." Yang was the first to reply.

"Yeah, those beans are amazing. Where'd you get them?" Weiss followed up.

"Souvenirs from my travels. I actually don't really need or use them but they're convenient for everybody else. Won't help you grow back limbs, usually though it depends on the version, but they'll heal practically everything else." Ravage explained. "Far from the craziest things I store in my bag of holding though." He added.

"What else do you have in there?"

"Well, you got your standard supplies and rare materials but I'm pretty sure I have a few weapons and clothing items in there as well. Actually..." Ravage opened up his pouch and dug around deep inside. Team RWBY and JNPR gave each other confused looks. Ruby shrugged. "Found something..." Ravage pulled out Mjolnir. As in the Mjolnir, legendary hammer of Thor. "Yep, that's a hammer. What is it called again?"

"Mjolnir." Raine answered.

"Right." Ravage nodded, looking Mjolnir over.

"How'd he have that in there?" Jaune threw his arms up in the air.

"I like it." Nora grinned.

"Haven't seen one of those in a while. Remind me, how are you holding it again?" Raine chuckled, already knowing the answer.

"Because screw the rules, they're no fun. Plus I don't need to play by them if I'm not from any verse." Ravage smirked.

"That's my boy." Raine smirked back, patting Ravage on the head.

"Oh yeah, I think I have a spare Master Sword in there somewhere as well..." Ravage muttered, looking aside.

"How did you have that thing in there?" Blake wondered. Ravage looked over to the Faunus.

"Bag of holding." Ravage replied. Blake raised a brow. "Hey, it's not the worst offender. Give me enough time I might find a, a... a Dragonslayer in there."

"Dragonslayer?" Weiss asked.

"Massive, thick, heavy and far too rough." Ravage recalled. "It's much too big to be called a sword."

"Indeed, it's like a heap of raw iron." Raine chipped in.

"Kind of like the Buster Sword really. Well, could also be the other way around." Ravage followed up. "Regardless I like to stick to my own weapon." Ravage pulled up his sheathed katana.

"Well, it is the least likely to break out of anything you might wield and it's blade is amongst the best you could have." Raine smiled.

"Ravage tells us his sword was a gift from you." Ruby spoke up.

"That it was." Raine smiled. "It's actually forged from a shard of my weapon." She showed her katana. "Thing was originally an ōdachi, a greatsword, but it got broken at one point and it was just convenient to make another weapon out of it, so Ravage got a shiny new toy."

"The blades seem pretty different though." Yang noted.

"Oh it just lost its true power after being reforged. Not that it matters." Ravage responded. "I've never needed the extra power anyway. Plus I'm not feeling the red blade, wouldn't go with my current style so no point in upgrading it." He shrugged. Ravage put away Mjolnir, placing it back into his red pouch. "Huh... haven't felt that kind of power in a while." He muttered. Ravage pulled out a fine silver sword with a hilt wrapped in rough brown leather and a cross handguard with ornate markings.

"It looks well made." Ren commented. Ravage nodded, looking the sword over. Suddenly the blade segmented and revealed the weapon's alternate form: a whip sword, the blade pieces distributed along the metal chain and of course ending with the tip of the blade. Ravage reverted the weapon back to its base sword form.

"Heh, not a bad weapon." Jaune spoke up. "Is it from a friend?" Ravage looked over to him.

"Huh? Oh, no, I never have actually interacted with its original owner much." Ravage replied.

"So, what makes it special?" Ruby inquired.

"Well, where it's from it would be considered a powerful weapon through a combination of its craftmanship, materials and enchantments... more than enough to slay any beast of darkness, kill any creature of the night." Ravage explained, showcasing the silver sword to Team RWBY and JNPR. "Its holy properties might even do a little extra damage to me... might." The kitsune smiled. "This is the Night Vanquisher, a weapon initially wielded by a very powerful monster huntress, a very skilled female warrior."

"So she was like us?" Weiss questioned.

"Her foes were a little more... well, undead or beastly. Most also had some semblance of a soul in them, however twisted. They weren't all one collective group like the Grimm you face. There were many different kinds, most of which had no solid connection to one another. About as deadly as a threat as the Grimm but of a different origin." Ravage responded.

"Why that does sound interesting, would you care to share a tale of this warrior?" Pyrrha smiled.

"Sure, why not." Ravage smiled back. "I do actually know and vaguely remember the events that made her a hero, action, tragedy and all."

"Thrilling." Nora grinned.

"Well you see our story begins on a terrible night in a cursed and tormented land." Ravage sat back, taking a bite out of his steak before continuing on with the tale. "In a village in peril actually, under attack by forces of darkness... it was standard fare all in all. The village was being ransacked, the villagers were on the run and the guards were utterly useless."


	31. Day 3: Huntress of Another World

As the village burned and the full moon hung up above in the night sky a lone woman walked through the chaos, passing the corpses and fleeing survivors and approaching a trio of Werewolves as they tore apart the bodies of the dead guards. This woman stood at 5 foot 9 and had pale skin with deep blue eyes and long black hair, parted at the front, that reached just past her shoulder blades. She was clothed in a blood red jerkin over a black unitard with a brown shoulder strap that went over her right shoulder and under her left arm; a black belt around her waist with a silver buckle which held in place a red cloth skirt that reached just to her knees and covered only the sides and back revealing the black pants she wore, silver knight's greaves covering her feet to her knees, matching the silver gauntlets on her arms. She tightened her grip on Night Vanquisher, holding the holy weapon firmly in her right hand. Her eyes narrowed. The beasts stopped feasting and looked over to this lone warrior. Their amber eyes pierced through the dark, their shaggy black fur covering their rough grey skin. A bushy tail flowed behind them and on all their hands and in all their mouthes were razor sharp claws and teeth. The Werewolves stood up and growled. The woman stood her ground, unfazed.

"More savage beasts who strike fear into the hearts of men. The night is with you... but that will be your ruin." She spoke with a harsh, cold voice: readying herself to engage in combat with the feral creatures. "Have at you!" The huntress rushed forward. The Werewolves let out furious roars and charged their foe, six against one. The huntress leapt up into the air and the Werewolf at the front of the pack looked up to see her against the full moon. Its eyes widened. Within an instant the first beas was slain, the woman coming down with a downwards sword thrust: blade going through the Werewolf's mouth and down its throat. The woman flipped over the beast, slicing it down the middle before spinning around and breaking the jaw of the 2nd Werewolf before she grabbed its face and slammed its head into the ground. A 3rd Werewolf pounced at her but she backdashed in time to avoid its attempt to pin her down and as the Werewolf tried to swipe at her immediately afterward she ducked under its arm and stabbed it through its jaw, sword going through its skull, before spinning it around and then sending it flying into the fires of a burning building. The huntress swung her sword forward and the weapon went into whip mode: cutting through the 4th Werewolf and detaching its torso from its lower half before the end of the whip sword wrapped around the neck of the 5th monster. The woman yanked it towards her and then jumped over the beast as it stumbled over: tearing off its head in the process. The last Werewolf backed off as its brethren's headless corpse crashed to the ground and the woman stood back up, reverting Night Vanquisher to sword form before stomping on the head of the 5th Werewolf and crushing it beneath her boot. The final Werewolf turned tail and ran only to be immediately impaled through the back and chest as the woman sent out her weapon's whip form once more. The beast let out a dying howl before collapsing to its kness and then falling flat on its face. The woman reeled her whip sword back in and Night Vanquisher returned to sword form again. She then flicked the blood off of her blade and pressed on, stepping over the Werewolf bodies on the way.

"Wait..." The woman came to a stop upon hearing the call of an old man. She turned around and saw several villagers gathered together. "Who are you?" The old man with a walking stick at the front asked. The huntress eased up, holstering Night Vanquisher on her belt.

"I am Gabrielle Montis, huntress of monsters and holy knight." The woman informed the villagers, responding to the old man's question. "I've come to deal with the terrors of the night in this land... and that mysterious castle that has appeared in the region."

"You would not be the first, mi'lady." One of the villagers spoke up.

"Then my brother did pass through here as I've been told?" Gabrielle quickly inquired.

"There was a fellow of the same vocation as you who passed through here the week prior." The old man responded to her inquiry.

"Aye, and I bet it is his fault the village is..."

"We were fated to face this carnage regardless of the young man's presence, calm yourselves." The old man cut the other villager off. He turned back to Gabrielle. "Emotions are obviously high, we..."

"I understand, you should all get to safety, leave the village before another attack." Gabrielle rested her right hand on the butt of her weapon's hilt as it hung from her belt. "I am going to head on towards the castle. Soldiers are on their way, fear not, you will be safe by morning. One way, or another." Gabrielle turned to leave.

"May you find luck in your endeavours. Fight well." The old man called out as Gabrielle walked off.

* * *

Gabrielle walked past a Skeleton as it felt to its knees, blue glow in its eye sockets fading away, and pulled a silver dagger from its skull as she passed on by. The Skeleton erupted in flames and then fell apart, Gabrielle continuing on until she came to a clearing. She came to a halt and looked up to the full moon, a flock of crows flying overhead. Gabrielle turned her attention to her front again as the ground began to shake ever so slightly and the sound of thunderous stomps reached her ears. Across the clearing, from amongst the trees, emerged a gargantuan Werewolf. Standing at 10 feet with the same shaggy black fur and rough grey skin of its brethren, this large beast was incredibly muscular and had bigger fangs with glowing crimson eyes. Gabrielle frowned and took hold of Night Vanquisher, right hand gripped firmly around its hilt. The large Werewolf took a couple more steps forward and looked down at the warrior in red before him. A large scar was across the monster's chest.

"Another warrior come to prove their worth." The beast spoke with a deep, booming and guttural voice. Gabrielle remained silent. "I would be more impressed if your reputation did not proceed you, human."

"And you are?" Gabrielle questioned.

"Amarok, Werewolf Lord. You must be the one called Gabrielle. Your brother was a fine fighter, I hope you live up to his praise." Amarok pointed to his scar.

"How like my brother to leave a job unfinished..." Gabrielle assumed a battle stance as Amarok assumed his.

"This time I will not be interrupted." Amarok growled. "This time I deal with the foolish."

"Only a fool would boast when their life is on the line." Gabrielle retorted.

"Then what does that make you?" Amarok chuckled.

"My life isn't in danger." Gabrielle narrowed her eyes.

"I will enjoy feasting on your heart." Amarok stomped his right foot on the ground before letting out a howl.

"I will have destroyed yours before you get the chance." Gabrielle rushed forward.


	32. Day 3: Beast Slaying

Gabrielle leapt over Amarok's left arm as the Werewolf Lord swiped at her during a dashing lunge. She landed on his forearm and went to slash at his face only to have to jump away and backflip through the air because Amarok went to grab her with his right hand. Amarok jumped up into the air as Gabrielle landed back on the ground and attempted to smash her into the ground with both fists but Gabrielle backdashed and then swung Night Vanquisher at Amarok, sword transforming into whip mid-swing: cutting through the chunks of dirt launched into the air by Amarok's attack and then striking the large beast across the left side of his face, leaving behind a small scar under his eye.

"Arrrgh!" Amarok stumbled back before retaliating by sending out crescent crimson energy blasts with a swing of his right hand, launching them from his claws. Gabrielle dodged around each crescent blast and slided between Amarok's legs as he went to attack her with a downwards claw swipe. Gabrielle jumped back onto her feet and spun around as she passed under Amarok. She twirled her blade around and then went in with a dashing stab only to be knocked back as Amarok turned around fast enough to dodge the attack and kick the woman back. Amarok got on all fours and dashed forwards, attempting to shoulder barge Gabrielle. Gabrielle jumped over him just before he could hit her and struck him repeatedly in the back with her weapon in whip form, striking him three times in quick succession before Amarok stumbled and then tripped and rolled over as Gabrielle's feet met the grass again. "Grr..." Amarok jumped back onto his feet. "Raaargggghh! I'll rip you to shreds!" He swung around and swiped at Gabrielle again. Gabrielle flipped over the attack and then sliced at Amarok's right knee during his opening. Gabrielle then jumped up and grabbed onto the fur on Amarok's chest and proceeded to repeatedly stab the Werewolf Lord with Night Vanquisher, hacking away at him. "GET OFF!" Gabrielle continued to repeatedly stab Amarok as he stumbled and flailed around until he went to grab her at which point she dug her hands into Amarok's open wound and ripped off his right breast as she backflipped off of him: revealing the muscle beneath. "ARRGGGGHH!" Amarok fell onto his left knee. "You little..." Gabrielle smacked him in the face with his own severed flesh, impaled on the tip of her whip-sword, and knocked him back: the flesh flying off of her weapon afterwards before she reverted it to its sword form just as Amarok got back up. "Come here!" Amarok pounced at Gabrielle, catching her off guard. Amarok knocked her down and tried to chomp down on her but Gabrielle kept him at bay with both hands, one on his nose and the other his chin.

"Grrgh..." Gabrielle kicked him in the throat and then rolled to the side before jumping back onto her feet and going in to stab her foe in the face. Amarok managed to catch her blade inbetween his teeth and then flung her away before she could retaliate. Gabrielle flew through the air and smashed through a tree, bringing it down and snapping its trunk in half as she tumbled along the ground. Amarok stood up and howled up to the moon as Gabrielle stumbled back onto her feet and shuck her head. Gabrielle threw a bottle, with silver decals and a cross shaped silver cork, of holy water at Amarok but he dashed out of its way as the glass shattered and the water splashed out before blue flames rose up from them.

"Hah!" Amarok leapt high into the air and flew at Gabrielle, ready to strike. Gabrielle looked to her right and quickly grabbed one half of the broken tree trunk: lifting it up and letting Amarok land on its sharp, jagged, broken end: the trunk going through the Werewolf Lord's gut. "AARRRGGGHHH!" Amarok grabbed the trunk as he was still impaled on its end and forced himself back onto the ground, lifting up the trunk and Gabrielle with it. "Harrgh!" Amarok spun around and pulled the trunk from his stomach, tossing it and Gabrielle away. Gabrielle managed to recover in mid-air and sent out the whip form of Night Vanquisher to grapple onto the trunk as it flipped through the air. Gabrielle proceeded to swing around it and land atop it as it flew through the air, jumping off of it straight after. She landed and rolled forward along the grass before breaking into a sprint towards Amarok as he rushed towards her. Amarok pulled back his right arm and Gabrielle pulled back her left. They clashed, fist against fist: the two somehow equal in the power of their blows. "Huh? How!?" Amarok and Gabrielle backdashed away from one another. "No mere human could..." Gabrielle leapt up and kneed Amarok in the chin before striking him across the nose with her blade. Amarok stumbled back and Gabrielle landed back down and rushed to stab him in the left knee. "Graarggh!"

"You underestimate us... as always." Gabrielle cut through the Werewolf Lord's leg and brought him onto his knee. Amarok managed to catch Night Vanquisher as Gabrielle went to stab him in the side of the face and threw Gabrielle back as he pushed himself back up onto his feet.

"Clearly." Amarok growled. "Allow me to show you my true power." A devilish grin grew upon his face. Gabrielle frowned.

"You couldn't stop my brother, you won't stop me."

"We shall see. Hoooo-uuuuuuhhhh!" Amarok was engulfed in a crimson aura as pulsing red veins appeared around his body and the pupils in his eyes disappeared: his eyes glowing fiercely with power as his aura disappeared. "Bask in the glory of my real strength! With it I shall be your end!"

"You really are a stupid beast." Gabrielle wasn't impressed.

"Arrgh! I'll crush you!" Amarok dashed forward, going in with a furious flurry of swipes, all of which Gabrielle backdashed away from and dodged around without any real effort. He still wasn't fast enough to keep up with her. Amarok unleashed several claw beams but Gabrielle jumped over them and sent the tip of Night Vanquisher's whip form into Amarok's left shoulder and pulled herself towards him. Amarok yanked the blade tip out of him and swung Gabrielle around before she could dive kick him in the face, intending to slam her into a tree. Gabrielle managed to land safely on the side of the tree and yanked Amarok over to her, jumping down and around the tree trunk and letting Amarok smash his head into it. Gabrielle sent out a trio of silver daggers and each one struck Amarok in his open chest wound. "Damn it!" Amarok stumbled back as Gabrielle ran towards him. He attempted to punch her into the ground but she dodged around his right arm and sliced straight through his wrist: cutting off his hand. The Werewolf Lord reered back, thrashing around violently, and let out an agonised howl. Gabrielle threw a bottle of holy water onto his face: the shattered glass jamming into him and resulting flames scorching his skin. Amarok fell to his knees and clutched his face with his left hand. "You'll pay for this! You'll..." Amarok was cut off by Gabrielle kicking him in the crotch. "ARRRGHH!" Gabrielle leapt onto his torso again as he roared out. She proceeded to slice open the scar her brother had given Amarok: revealing his heart. "Bl-aaarrrgghhh...! P-ple..." Gabrielle leapt off of Amarok and transformed Night Vanquisher from sword to whip. "Ple... please! Show mercy!" Amarok coughed up blood.

"I told you..." Gabrielle stepped forward. "I will destroy your heart." She swung her weapon towards Amarok.

"You w... AAARRRGGGHHH!" The tip of Night Vanquisher pierced Amarok's heart. "NO! NO!"

"Haarrgghh!" Gabrielle yanked Amarok's heart out from his chest and caught it in her left hand as it flew at her. It was much larger than a human heart and miraculously still beating.

"You..." Amarok wasn't dead just yet. Gabrielle dashed forward and shoved Amarok's own heart down his throat so that he choked on it.

"You don't belong in this world..." Gabrielle transformed Night Vanquisher back into its sword form and then stabbed it down Amarok's throat as the blade glowed with an incredibly bright light. "Your darkness will trouble it no more." And with that Amarok's head exploded. Gabrielle stepped back and twirled her weapon around as Amarok's corpse crashed down onto the ground with a loud thud. Gabrielle eased up and holstered Night Vanquisher on her belt. Amarok's headless, lifeless body began to burn up. Gabrielle stared at the burning body of the Werewolf Lord before finally turning around to leave as it had all but faded away. "Tis done then." Gabrielle walked off as a stream of red energy drifted up into the air, flying off into the night sky, from where Amarok's body had laid.

* * *

"So Gabrielle made short work of the huge lycanthrope, living up to her promise to destroy his heart in the process... along with his head... and continued on towards the castle." Ravage explained to Team RWBY and JNPR.

"Nasty." Jaune commented. "But also kinda... well, badass."

"It was pretty gruesome, but that's the sort of world we're talking about here." Ravage nodded to Jaune. "Anyway, she wasn't that far off from the castle at this point."

"What kind of castle was it?" Ruby inquired. "Big? Scary?"

"Why of course." Ravage chuckled. "Very old, had a strong gothic vibe. It was also in a pretty bad state, kind of surprised it didn't completely crash down on itself at one point. I mean it didn't look completely terrible but it was definitely in a heavy state of disrepair and was due a restoration."

"So this Gabrielle was just going to charge on in there all on her own?" Blake asked.

"Well yeah..." Ravage shrugged. "Didn't have the Belmonts on speed-dial." The kitsune joked. "Besides she could obviously handle it. Now, onto the storming of the castle itself." He sat up. "This is where it starts getting interesting."

"Ravage, I think the arena is ready again." Raine spoke up, looking off to the side. She could see Glynda approaching.

"Huh... and we were just done with the intro." Ravage muttered.

"We can finish it another time." Yang smiled. "But let's get round 2 going."

"Hey, we're fighting too." Weiss responded to Yang.

"Oh, yeah." Yang rubbed the back of her head and smiled awkwardly.

"Well, last chance to win the right to pet me, Ruby." Ravage grinned. "Let's see what all four of you can do together."

"You're on, Ravage." Ruby grinned back.


	33. Day 3: Soul Copy

"Well I finally get to see what the four of you can do together..." Ravage twirled his sheathed katana around in his left hand as he ran his right hand through his head fur. "Considering all the fun I've had so far, I'm gonna have a hell of a time now." He grinned. Ravage lodged his sheathed sword into the ground besides him and cracked his knuckles and then his neck.

"I'd usually feel a bit bad about all four of us going against just one person, but you'll be able to hold your own no doubt." Ruby smiled. She and her team readied their weapons.

"The more the merrier." Ravage shrugged and chuckled. "Now, to keep things fair, I'll only be as powerful as the four of you combined." The kitsune's fiery aura flickered over him briefly. Team RWBY assumed their battle stances, Ruby; Weiss, Blake and Yang all stood together, the other three to Ruby's left and in order. On the right side of the monitor overlooking the stage were their Aura meters and on the left was Ravage's energy meter.

"Oh this'll be good." Yang bashed her fists together.

"We'll have to be at our best here." Blake tightened her grip on the hilt of her weapon. Weiss nodded.

"Now, besides my Devil Burst and grandpa, I won't hold back in terms of my tactics. Give it your all, girls." Ravage kicked his sword out of the ground and caught it, still in its scabbard, in his left hand as it fell back down. Ravage moved his left foot behind his right and wrapped his right hand around his katana's hilt.

"Let's go." Ruby twirled her scythe around before pointing it at the kitsune. "Together!"

"Yeah!" Weiss, Blake and Yang yelled in unison. Team RWBY charged forward.

"Let me show you just what I'm made of." Ravage grinned. He dashed forward, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. Ruby leapt up into the air; Weiss dashed forth with a sword thrust, Blake drew her sword from its sheath and charged forward with both of them at the ready and Yang flew forward with her left hand pulled back and her fist on fire. Ravage drew his blade and parried Weiss' sword thrust, knocking her back before dodging around Ruby's downwards strike, letting her scythe get stuck in the ground, followed by using an afterimage to deceive Blake and avoid her flurry of rapid strikes and then finally flipping over Yang and avoiding her flying punch: all whilst his katana's blade started to glow a mix of red, white, black and yellow. Ravage spun around and caught Yang on his sword, followed by Blake, Weiss and Ruby. Ravage then sent them flying all at once by unleashing a multi-colored pulse from his sword. Torrents of red, white, black and yellow energy flew around the arena and then into Ravage himself after he resheathed his katana: the torrents lifting him up into the air as he absorbed them. The others quickly got back up onto their feet as Ravage hung in the air, absorbing the strange energies. Team RWBY looked amongst themselves, shrugging with bewildered looks. Ravage landed back on the ground and a multi-colored aura engulfed the kitsune.

"Heh, I think its time for a wardrobe and tactics change." Ravage smirked, his sheathed katana disappearing into his hammerspace with a bright flash. "Soul copy!" Ravage held his right arm up into the air as a white light replaced his multi-colored aura.

* * *

"Now he decides to take trophies..." Raine smiled. "About time." She folded her arms.

* * *

A copy of Myrtenaster appeared holstered on Ravage's left hip as he held out his demon arm and a copy of Crescent Rose, which proceeded to shrink down a little to better fit Ravage, appeared in his hand whilst a copy of Gambol Shroud appeared holstered on his back and a copy of one of gauntlets of the Ember Celica set appeared on his left arm. During this the same sort of hip-covering, front open, brown skirt with white material underneath that Yang wore appeared over his shorts with the black wrappings Blake wore on her arms appearing on his and the white sash Weiss wore appearing just above his belt and finally Ruby's red cloak appeared over his jacket with the ends of it tattered and the flame symbol on the back of his jacket replacing Ruby's emblem as the broach that held the cloak in place. Ravage raised his left arm and clenched his fist in front of his face: activating his copy gauntlet.

"Well then..." Weiss muttered.

"Uhh, there goes my plans." Blake followed up.

"Did, did you just... what did you just do?" Ruby raised her brow and scratched her head. Ravage chuckled.

"Just copying your styles to mix things up." Ravage twirled his scythe around before pointing it at Team RWBY. "Don't worry, totally harmless minus the free hit I got in. Now, how well do you know yourselves? Let's see what I can do with your stuff."

"Totally digging this." Yang smirked. "You should get some shades though." Yang pulled out her aviator glasses. Ravage pointed to the bandana over his left eye. "Oh right..."

"Well, that Big Boss aims with his blind eye, why can't I wear sunglasses over mine sometime?" Ravage muttered to himself, looking aside. "But I digress, maybe for another time." He turned his attention back to Team RWBY. "Let's rock!"


	34. Day 3: Team RWBY

Ravage charged forward, his scythe gripped firmly in his right hand with his cape and skirt flowing behind him with his three tails as he rushed forward with incredible speed.

"Come on!" Yang rushed towards Ravage, shooting a couple of blasts behind her to propel herself straight at the kitsune.

"Yang!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss and Blake set off after Yang. Ruby rolled her eyes and fired off a sniper shot behind her and flew after them. Ravage grinned and readied his scythe, skidding forwards as he took hold of the weapon with both hands. Yang was struck repeatedly with Ravage's copy of Crescent Rose before she could even get close to hitting him, Ravage using range to his advantage. One strike; two strike, spin attack, rising slice! Ravage dashed under Yang after knocking her into the air. Blake rushed around him and went in with a spin attack. Ravage stabbed his scythe into the ground and swung around it to kick Blake in the face before blasting her away with a sniper shot, sending him flying towards Weiss. Ravage curled up into a ball and spun through the air with his scythe stuck out: catching Weiss off guard and striking her with a mid-air pinwheel attack before smacking her aside with a single swing of the scythe afterwards. Ravage barely had time to block Ruby's strike from above. The ground cracked beneath Ravage as he and Ruby clashed. Ruby backflipped away and Ravage jumped back, swapping out scythe for rapier, folding it up and holstering it on his lower back, and assuming Weiss' battle stance as he landed. Ruby landed back down and was struck by a sword thrust from Ravage upon doing so, only for Yang to jump in and try and hit Ravage in the back. Ravage narrowly dodged her downwards punch and created a wall of ice between him and Yang immediately afterwards with his rapier, shivering a little just before turning to parry Blake's dashing attack. He retaliated with several quick stabs, comboing Blake before she used an afterimage to escape and Weiss came flying at him with a sword thrust. Ravage countered with his own and the tip of their rapiers collided: a shockwave bursting out from the collision. Ravage and Weiss proceeded to repeatedly clash blades with sword slice after slice and stab after stab countering one another. Weiss backdashed and stabbed her sword into the ground: a row of ice spikes bursting out and rushing towards Ravage, who used a demonic rune to quickly escape into the air. He swapped out his rapier for his copy of Gambol Shroud.

"Come here!" Ravage yanked Weiss into the air using his weapon's kusarigama form to grab Weiss. Yang punched through the ice wall Ravage had made previously with Ruby by her side. Ravage swung Weiss around before sending her flying at Ruby, Weiss smashing into her and the two flying back. Yang leapt up after Ravage only to be sent flying with severa lcrescent beams launched from Ravage's sword and sheath.

"Quick, get off!" Weiss exclaimed. Ruby stumbled back onto her feet, followed by Weiss only for Yang to smack into both of them. "Ahh!" All three flew back. Ravage landed on the ground and turned to block Blake's attack which he had predicted, only for Blake to trick him with an afterimage and reappear behind him. She swung both her sword and sheath. It was an afterimage of Ravage. Ravage dashed back and the two met head-on. Blake and Ravage repeatedly swung their blades and sheaths whilst dashing around the arena as Ruby, Weiss and Yang got back onto their feet. Ravage backflipped away from Blake's next attack and blasted her back with a shot from his Gambol Shroud's pistol form. She landed next to the others.

"We need a new plan... he's completely went against our previous one..." Ruby sighed. Yang cracked her knuckles.

"I have a plan. Attack!" Yang rushed in as Blake got back onto her feet. Ravage put Gambol Shroud away and bashed his fists together, activating the Ember Celica gauntlet on his left arm and letting an aura of flames erupt around him. Yang's eyes turned blood red and she grinned as flames trailed from her fists. Ravage sprinted forwards and sent a shotgun blast out from his gauntlet followed by an energy blast from demon arm. Yang dodged around both before spinning forward and hitting Ravage straight on with a left hook to the face. Ravage returned the favour with a right hook to Yang's face. They struggled against one other for a brief moment before blasting each other back with a shotgun blast from their free arms. Yang skidded backwards, stopping besides the rest of Team RWBY. "Alright..." Yang sighed. "New plan." Weiss folded her arms and gave Yang a stern glare. "What?" Yang asked. Blake facepalmed.

"Not half bad weapons..." Ravage pulled out his copy of Ruby's scythe again and twirled it around before resting it on his right shoulder. "Have I really thrown you all off that much with a bit of a mix-up?" He smirked. "Come on, surely you've all sparred against one another? Just combine that knowledge with good ol' teamwork. Nobody knows your weaknesses like you do... I hope..." Team RWBY looked amongst themselves, considering the kitsune's words. They silently formed plans amongst themselves before with nods

"Alright... here goes nothing." Ruby twirled her scythe around before pointing it at Ravage. Weiss pulled her rapier back and assumed her battle stance. Blake put her sword back in its sheath and holstered it on her back, keeping a firm grip on the hilt. Yang cracked her neck and smashed her fists together. "Team RWBY... divide and conquer." Ruby grinned.

"Wait... how do we divide and conquer if he's only one person?" Yang asked.

"Uhhh..." Ruby looked aside. "Look, just roll with it." She sighed.

"I'm just saying." Yang shrugged.

"I probably should learn mom's doppelganger/multi-form technique some time..." Ravage muttered to himself. "Some time..."

"Let's go." Ruby lead the charge. Ravage grinned as his right eye's pupil glowed with power. He ran his left hand through his head fur.

"Well then, let's go indeed." Ravage dashed forward. Mid-dash he disappeared from sight and reappeared behind Ruby. "Never see me coming, even if you got special eyes." He went to hit her in the back with his scythe.

"Huh?!" Ruby's eyes widened as she turned around. Yang struck Ravage with a flying kick as he went in for the attack, knocking him away just in time. "Wow, he is fast..." Ruby muttered. Weiss created an ice wall which Blake jumped onto and slided along so as to reach Ravage as he flew through the air. Blake leapt towards him but Ravage recovered in time to effortlessly block her strike. He was then hit with a sniper shot from Ruby, sending him flying away from Blake who then yanked him back to her and flung him into the ice wall Weiss had formed for her. Ravage smashed through the ice and Yang proceeded to fire explosive round after explosive round into the chaos. Ravage came dashing out of the smoke and knocked Yang back with a sword thrust with his rapier before turning to parry Ruby's spinning attack. Weiss and Blake rushed around him at the same time and went to strike him simultaneously only for the kitsune to backflip over them: causing them to crash into Ruby. As Ravage landed Yang came in with a downwards punch. The demon made a quick 180 degree turn and countered with a left hook, their fists colliding. Yang jumped back and skidded to a halt just as Ravage pulled out his copy of Gambol Shroud and dashed forward to strike her with its sheath, sword still inside: followed by dashing around Yang and sending her flying into the others with a crescent beam launched from the weapon.

"Damn..." Ravage holstered the weapon on his back. "This, this is too easy..." He muttered. "No fun like this. Guess I'll have to cut my power by at least half." Ravage looked over to the screen, he had barely taken any damage. Team RWBY were all close to around 50%. He hadn't even been hitting them seriously. "Yep... lowering my power. Wow... I feel kinda terrible... this is like taking the unguarded back door to a castle. I guess their power combined is too good to be used on them." He reached into his pouch and pulled out four more beans. "Hey..." He called out to Team RWBY as they stumbled back up onto their feet. Ruby; Weiss, Blake and Yang looked over to him. "Mid-match Senzus." He threw the beans to the girls, all of them catching one. "Lowering my power as well." Weiss looked over to the monitor.

"What?!" She exclaimed.

"And I was still pulling my punches." Ravage shrugged.

"Heh, we really are strong together." Yang chuckled before eating the bean in her right hand. The others followed her lead, their Aura metres returning to 100% afterwards. "Well, let's kick some." Team RWBY rushed forward.

"Hmm, ladies first" Ravage smirked. He twirled his copy of Crescent Rose around and beckoned Team RWBY to attack. Ruby swung her scythe downwards at him and Ravage sidestepped the blade. Ruby smirked as Yang jumped over her and flew at Ravage with her right arm pulled back and Weiss dashed to Ravage's right side, whilst Blake reappeared behind Ravage. The kitsune was ready for Weiss to rush at him. Ravage's right eye widened. Weiss stabbed her rapier into the floor and ice developed around Ravage's feet, trapping him in place. "Ahh! That stings! Wasn't..." Yang delivered a powerful punch to the kitsune's face and Blake immediately followed up by flying-kicking him in the back. "Gah, my spine!" Yang proceeded to uppercut Ravage into the air, the ice around his feet shattering as he flew upwards. Ruby twirled her scythe around before taking aim and firing off a sniper round. The bullet went straight through Ravage's chest and shredded up his heart. Ravage flipped backwards, losing his grip on his scythe and letting it fall down: spinning through the air before the blade was imbedded in the ground.

"Uhh... did..." Ruby cut herself off as Ravage smirked and chuckled, his heart healing back up as he flipped through the air. He landed on the handle of his scythe and rose back up, the magifibres of his tank top stitching themselves back together, his clothing repairing itself. Ravage was surrounded by Team RWBY. "You okay?" Ruby scratched her head. "Looked like that round actually hurt."

"Oh it did. Nothing serious though. You just caught me off guard is all. Would'a probably bounced off otherwise." Ravage shrugged. Blake reappeared directly above Ravage but the kitsune caught her blade in his right hand without even looking back. "I wasn't expecting the ice straight off the bat, sent me into a minor shock." Ravage threw Blake away, letting her crash into Weiss. In the blink of an eye he reappeared behind Ruby, the two now back to back, resting his scythe over his right shoulder. "It was a smart move." He and Ruby spun around and swung their scythes at one another, the two briefly clashing and then jumping back from each other. Ruby fired off another shot at Ravage and he jumped back again, only for Yang to hit him with an explosive round as he lande: launching him towards Weiss. Weiss rushed in with a sword thrust but Ravage recovered in time to land himself on her blade. He then leapt over Weiss and blasted her in the back with a round from his gauntlet before turning around to block Blake's leaping sword and sheath strike with his scythe. Blake backflipped and left behind an afterimage which Ravage sent his scythe spinning through with a throw as he spun around to block Ruby and Yang's joint strike with his demon arm and gauntlet.

"Blake!" Weiss called out to her teammate, proceeding to power the Faunus up with a speed glyph as she landed back on the ground.

"Gotta go fast it seems." Ravage chuckled. He pushed Ruby and Yang back before curling up into a ball and started spinning in place on the ground. Blake rushed at him at double speed. Ravage blasted forward and knocked Ruby off her feet before launching himself up into the air and turning around in place before curling up into a ball again, this time with the tips of his three tails sticking out, before flying towards Blake. Blake effortlessly blocked Ravage's homing attack, the kitsune's tail tips repeatedly striking her weapon as he spun around, sparks flying between the two. Blake knocked Ravage back, forcing him to uncurl, before striking him with a volley of sword beams: juggling him in the air as Weiss stabbed her rapier into the floor and a giant ice pillar broke out of the ground underneath Ravage and knocked him higher up. Yang leapt after Ravage, intending to punch him straight back down. Ravage recovered and drew his rapier from his side and parried Yang's attack, following up with a series of quick slashes with the blade before blasting Yang away with a round from his gauntlet. Ravage landed back on the ground and called his scythe back, the weapon flying into his right hand after he put his rapier back at his side. Ruby was charging at him from the front with Blake whilst Weiss rushed at him from the back. Ravage twirled around and launched a crimson crescent beam from his scythe's blade at Weiss before turning to block Ruby and Blake's joint strike. Ravage was forced back a little as Crescent Rose and Gambol Shroud struck the handle of his scythe. Weiss cut through the energy blast flying her way before creating a curved wall of ice which she ran up and along before going in for a downwards strike on Ravage. Just then Yang skidded past Blake and went in with a dashing punch on Ravage's left. Ravage quickly pulled his rapier from his side and threw it up behind him before grabbing Yang's fist with his left hand and wrapping his central tail around his rapier's hilt so he could block Weiss' attack from above. The ground cracked underneath Ravage as he fended off Team RWBY's team attack. "Getting better..." Ravage grinned as Team RWBY pushed the attack, Weiss dropping down behind him and continuing to struggle against his tail held rapier. Yang kept pushing forward, her fist igniting in flames as Ravage held her back. Sparks flew between Ravage and Ruby and Blake as their weapons clashed. The ground continued to crack up beneath Ravage as he held everyone off.

"Now!" Ruby gave it her all and broke through Ravage's defence with Blake, sending his scythe flying and spinning through the air. Weiss hit his rapier from his tail's grasp before pulling her rapier back and preparing to unleash a sword thrust on the kitsune's back. Yang punched Ravage's left arm back before going in with a left hook, her left arm igniting in flames like her right had previously. Ruby and Blake went in for another attack.

"Huh..." Ravage's fiery aura flared up as he regained his footing. "Come on!" He flew forward and delivered a punch straight to Ruby's gut, ducking under her scythe during his dash. The kitsune parried Blake's attack with his demon arm and kicked Yang back with his left foot before dashing around Ruby and roundhouse kicking her into Weiss. He pulled the sheathed sword holstered on his back out and then drew the blade from its sheath before twirling both around as Team RWBY got back up and banded together. Ravage turned to face them. His rapier and scythe, folded up, reappeared at his left side and on his lower back respectively.

"Well..." Ruby looked over to the monitor. "At least we're about even."

"Already?" Weiss looked to Ruby.

"Better hit him with everything we've got." Yang cracked her neck.

"Let's go for broke then." Ravage grinned, moving his right foot behind his left. Team RWBY dashed forward, charging as one towards the kitsune. "Heheh, Alright. Stepping it up." Ravage burst off at his current max speed, the ground where he once stood exploding from the force. Team RWBY leapt up into the air and went in for a combined attack. Ravage jumped up to meet them head-on, flying at the team with his copy of Gambol Shroud at the ready.


	35. Day 4: Suddenly Ninjas

Ravage, the added clothing and additional weapons from his soul copying of Team RWBY now placed in his red pouch, was resting on a tree branch in the wilderness, sat up against the tree trunk with his left arm dangling off the side of the branch with his left leg and his right arm on his right knee. He was watching the sun rise in the distance with a smile as a gentle breeze ran through his head fur and blew his bandanna tail ends off to his right. As Ravage sat there and watched the distant sun rise a smile grew upon his face. His mother had left only a few hours after his 4v1 battle with Team RWBY yesterday and he was still in the mood for familiar company on this particular outing. Ravage had several ideas on who to invite but he felt like easing them into the world: he'd bring the first group over today and the other group another day...

* * *

"Are you ready?" Akiko, a woman of Japanese heritage, tightened the red headband wrapped around her forehead with a smirk. Her neck-length jet black hair was parted at the front so that most of it was just above her left eye and the rest over her right ear. Her eyes' pupils were a dark hazel, almost black but not quite. She was dressed in a white sleeveless kimono with a black martial arts belt and white slops. On the back of her kimono was the chinese character 長. On both of her forearms were silver, armored vagrant's kote with gold decals/trims and red cloth wrapped around the upper ends of both kote. On her feet were silver, armored vagrant's waraji with gold decals/trims and red cloth wrapped around her ankles. Hanako, a fellow Japanese woman, chuckled as she folded her arms and leaned back against a wall in Akiko's room. Her jet black hair was styled in a short ponytail. A black ashigaru headband with a yellow armor plate at the front was wrapped around her forehead. The pupils in her eyes were a fiery orange. She had on a yellow ashigaru shirt with the chinese character 火 on the back, with a black martial arts belt around her waist and yellow slops like Akiko's. On her forearms were yellow gauntlets and on her feet were a pair of yellow ashigaru greaves with black sandals. Hanako looked over to Impa, a Fire Oni. Impa was sat on Akiko's bed with her legs crossed. Her skin was a light shade of brown and her short, wild hair was a deep crimson, her eyes blood red and her face lacking a visible nose. Small spikes jutted out from her shoulders and elbows and the nails on her hands were razor sharp. Impa was dressed in a navy blue sleeveless turtleneck with navy blue combat pants and dark brown combat boots on her feet, with a brown belt with silver buckle around her waist and a brown shoulder holster over her turtleneck with brown fingerless gloves over her hands. A tattered crimson shroud laid besides her on the bed. Seijitsu, Akiko's pupil and human like her and Hanako, sat next to her master on the wooden floor. Her hair was cut short like Akiko's and parted mostly to her left but was a vibrant pink, her eyes a deep shade of blue. Seijitsu was dressed in a white ashigaru shirt, the chinese character 心 on its back and left breast, with a pink martial arts belt tied around her waist, with white slops to go with her ashigaru shirt and white cloth vambraces over her forearms with pink ashigaru greaves and brown sandels on her feet. Like Akiko and Hanako, Seijitsu wore a headband around her forehead, though hers was of course pink.

"Yep..." Seijitsu picked up a controller at the same time as Akiko. They were sat in front of a 50 inch flat screen with Hanako behind them and Impa sat off to their left. "I'm ready." Seijitsu smiled. Akiko nodded and smiled back.

"Not worried your clan won't fall into disarray whilst their leader is here for video games?" Impa looked over to Hanako and joked. Hanako smirked.

"They're not children." Hanako replied. "And the ones that are will be in bed by now." She added. "Besides, I have a bet with Akiko. She'll owe me a good bit of Yen after all this is done."

"Confident." Akiko scoffed, looking over her shoulder at her friend and rival. "You'll have to win at least twice by the end of all this."

"You don't really need it though, do you?" Impa laid back on the bed, resting her head in her hands. Hanako laughed.

"Of course not." She responded. "But a bet is a bet."

"Ahh, I was wondering how this Earth's two strongest women would be spending their free time... apparently training was not the right answer, for once, but video games were. You see, this, this is why I like humans." Ravage spoke up from the other side of the room. "Oh so weird."

"Wow... you managed to sneak up on three shinobi just like that... in a standard size bedroom..." Akiko muttered, looking over to the kitsune with everybody else. "Not sure if that means we're getting sloppy or if you're just that good."

"Probably both." Ravage snarked.

"We weren't expecting you, especially at such a random time." Hanako unfolded her arms.

"Nobody ever does. I'm like the spanish inquisition." Ravage shrugged.

"We should start expecting him." Seijitsu spoke up.

"Does this mean shit is about to hit the fan?" Impa wondered. "Such a strange saying..." She looked aside.

"What next? Gods?" Hanako remarked.

"Hah!" Ravage let out a quick laugh. Everybody else was silent.

"I'm scared." Seijitsu looked to the others, breaking the silence.

"Actually I'm here to offer you all a little holiday." Ravage informed the women.

"Holiday?" Akiko scratched her head.

"A multiversal holiday." Ravage answered. Akiko's eyes widened.

"A what...?" Impa asked.

"A trip to another universe." Ravage replied nonchalantly.

"Another... universe...?" Impa was still confused.

"You know, like a different reality, another world and all that." Ravage explained further.

"What an odd proposition..." Hanako raised her right brow. Akiko rushed to Ravage's side in the blink of an eye, leaving behind an afterimage where she once sat. Ravage looked up to her as she now stood by his side.

"Are, are you serious?" Akiko leaned forward.

"Yeah, I just came up with it before I came here. Thought it'd be cool to hang out." Ravage shrugged again.

"You'd really take us across the multiverse?" Akiko leaned further forward. Ravage nodded.

"Yeah, it's like crossing a street really." The kitsune responded.

"Will I get to meet him then? Will I?!" Akiko picked Ravage up, the kitsune's legs flailing about as he was held in the air by the human.

"Gah!" Ravage wasn't expecting that.

"Pleeeaseee..." Akiko looked him in his right eye. Hanako facepalmed.

"She's what? 32? She's acting like a child in a candy shop." Hanako muttered, looking over to Impa.

"You clearly still don't know her love for that franchise." Seijitsu replied.

"Well to be fair considering what she renamed Ryujin's blessing, of all things, I have a pretty good idea." Hanako looked to Seijitsu.

"You know there never was a recorded human with that blessing before, and none in the Underworld legends, for all we know the form may have been influenced by Akiko's subconscious." Impa proposed the notion.

"Great, she lumped the results of her own fangirling on me that day then. Really takes away the mysticism." Hanako rolled her eyes.

"Well, there's still the chance it's a giant coincidence." Impa shrugged.

"I take solace in that notion." Hanako snarked.

"Uhh, can you put me down...?" Ravage asked Akiko.

"Ohh... uh, sorry..." Akiko let the kitsune go.

"Sadly Akiko, I've already got a place lined up, because I just came from there..." Ravage cracked his neck as he landed back on the floor.

"Oh damn it..." Akiko sighed.

"But, I am planning to put a tournament together one day..." Ravage continued. "And you'll get the chance to meet your hero there."

"You serious?" Akiko was quick to inquire.

"Of course." Ravage nodded. "I need a lot of good fighters after all." He smiled.

"Awesome..." Akiko fist pumped the air. "Well, I guess the other place can't be too bad. What you have in mind?"

"Regardless we'll have to organise another time, I especially can't just be going off anywhere." Hanako interjected.

"You know time and space bends to mine and my mom's will, right?" Ravage looked over to Hanako. "I can literally just return you all to this exact moment after we're done, if you decide to come."

"I'm down for adventure." Akiko smiled.

"Me too." Seijitsu jumped up onto her feet.

"I don't do anything but 'hang out' with you all." Impa chipped in, sitting up.

"You know multiversal travel is... a big thing to put it lightly..." Hanako went on.

"It's just my entire life." Ravage shrugged.

"And we're all sat around discussing it like it's as normal as booking an actual holiday."

"It's way easier, and free." Ravage replied. "Besides none of you are close to your world's normal so it shouldn't be too out there." He added.

"Alright... where we going?" Hanako sighed.

"Yay! Adventure!" Seijitsu cheered. Impa gave her a curious look.


	36. Day 4: Same Actions Different World

A beowolf Grimm stalked across an open field with the rest of its pack as the sun shined down upon them in the clear blue sky above. This beowolf came to a halt to look up to a flock of small nevermores flying overhead, its glowing red eyes staring at its winged Grimm brethren as they passed. Without warning a spear-kunai on a metal chain flew out of the forest off to the Grimm's left and went straight through its cheek.

"Grrraaaarrr!" Its roar was filled with shock and pain. The Grimm was then yanked into the tree line and disappeared into the bushes. Its fellow beowolves quickly turned to see what was going on, to the sounds of the commotion. An alpha beowolf stepped forward and growled as it watched its now dead pack member fly out of the tree line, its corpse tumbling to a halt just at the alpha's feet. What seemed to be the wind struck the alpha and within the blink of an eye the beast fell apart: having been sliced into several pieces. The alpha's remains crashed onto the ground and Akiko appeared with her back to the pack, stood upon a rock behind them with her two wakizashis in hand. The wakizashi in Akiko's right hand had its hilt wrapped in black leather with its handguard being silver, this blade was known as Kokutan and its scabbard, which was black with silver decals, was on Akiko's lower back. The wakizashi in Akiko's left hand had its hilt wrapped in white leather with its handguard being golden, this blade was known as Aiborī and its scabbard, black with gold decals, was on Akiko's right shoulder blade. Akiko turned around and twirled her wakizashis around before returning them to their respective scabbards. The Grimm turned around to face Akiko, who proceeded to give them a wink and finger-guns with a smirk.

"No more stronger than the usual, average mook..." Hanako stepped out of the forest as the Grimm turned their backs to it, reeling her spear-kunai back in before it disappeared into her hammerspace after erupting into flames. "But still, variety is nice and this is still sure to be an interesting experience." Hanako wrapped her right hand around the hilt of the katana holstered on her back, its hilt wrapped in yellow leather with an ornate silver handguard. Seijitsu dropped down from the tree next to Hanako and twirled her jian, its hilt painted purple and its handguard in the shape of a butterfly, around with a smile as she hummed to herself. Impa walked past the both of them with her tattered crimson shroud flowing behind her in the wind as she rested her weapon over her right shoulder. It was a huge, one-sided broadsword, approximately 7 feet long from hilt to tip, with its hilt wrapped in red leather and its handguard painted gold. Impa stopped just behind the Grimm and the beowolf pack slowly turned around to face the Fire Oni as she let the tip of her broadsword touch the ground, holding the hilt with just her right hand. Impa smirked, revealing one of her fangs.

"My Breaker Blade has gotten rather dull..." She spoke to the Grimm. "However, it's three times as thick and does three times the damage of a normal sword. You'd better pray you die quickly, or this could be painful."

"She's lying!" Seijitsu chipped in from behind Impa. Impa shot her an unamused look. "Her sword is fine, she takes good care of it." Seijitsu continued. "She's just trying to sound cool." Hanako facepalmed. Impa frowned. "What?" Seijitsu looked back and forth between Hanako and Impa. "Oh... sorry." Impa sighed.

"LEEEROY..." Ravage came rushing down a hill off to the north, surfing on an ursa into the pack. "JENKINS!" He jumped off the ursa and let it crash into two beowolves, drawing his katana from its scabbard mid-flight.

"You heard him, girls!" Akiko jumped off of the rock. "Let's see who can get the most by the end of this!" She drew her swords and rushed into the Grimm pack. Hanako and Seijitsu rushed past Impa, who promptly dashed after them: following her friends into battle. Hanako launched a beowolf into the air with a rising slice, following up with several quick swings of her katana as Akiko leapt up and flew past her right, charging up a blue energy sphere inbetween her hands. Akiko and Hanako exchanged nods before Akiko passed. Underneath Hanako, Seijitsu dashed between several beowolves, slicing through each one before elbowing the last one in front of her, cutting off its wind, before using a palm thrust to send it flying into a distant tree. Just then Impa cut through one beowolf that had pounced at Seijitsu from behind, her broadsword cutting through its torso with ease as she dashed underneath it, spinning forward and slicing through a couple more of the Grimm effortlessly before obliterateing the last beowolf in her sight with an attack that went through its left shoulder to its right hip. The beowolf falling apart as Impa skidded to a halt behind it. Hanako landed back on the ground and summoned two spear-kunais, the chained weapons appearing from flames around her arms, which she then proceeded to swing around herself: cutting through all of the beowolves surrounding her. Akiko rushed out of the smoke created from the destruction her Ki attack made and slid underneath a beowolf, punching it in the groin in the process, before jumping onto its shoulders and stabbing both her wakizashis into its neck. Akiko proceeded to slice off the Grimm's head and then immediately backflipped off of it and struck another beowolf with several spinning kicks, which cracked its neck and broke its jaw, in mid-air before landing, rolling forward and unleashing a rising uppercut on its brethren behind it. Ravage meanwhile juggled an alpha beowolf in mid-air with his summoned swords, the spectral katanas striking it from every angle, before he reappeared behind the Grimm and used a dimensional cut to slice it up into several pieces. Ravage landed back on the ground and resheathed his katana in front of his face as the Grimm remains crashed down behind the kitsune. He ran his left hand through his head-fur and chuckled before rushing off into the dwindling beowolf pack. A king taijitu Grimm burst out of the forest and slithered quickly towards the group. Ravage and the others looked towards it as it made straight for them. Impa jumped up and then swung her giant sword downwards, cutting a beowolf in her way straight down the middle, before she broke into a sprint towards the large snake Grimm that had appeared before her and the others, her crimson eyes glowing briefly as she ran forward to fight the thing.

"Hey, I want a shot at it as well!" Akiko called out to her friend, having just sent a beowolf flying with a flick to the forehead after chopping its legs off.

* * *

Raine looked down upon an entire army of knights, accompanied by armored vehicles of several variants and the odd mech here and there with several airships flying overhead, from atop the deadly height of a mountain: watching them march across the fields of yet another version of her home world. She unfolded her arms and smirked as the skies darkened. This, this was both business and pleasure. Raine separated into several fireballs and these fireballs flew down from the mountain, through the blackend sky and into the fields below: crashing down amongst one legion and disintegrating several of the armored humans in the process. Raine reformed as the dust settled and looked around to see the knights in disarray and frantically readying their weapons. Raine held out her right arm and torrents of yellow energy swirled and gathered around her forearm. Raine twirled around and a whip formed from this energy spawned from her hand to slice through the hundreds surrounding the kitsune. Raine dashed through the chaos and confusion to reappear amongst other alive knights. Again she swung her energy whip around, striking hundreds more and sending countless bodies flying as she slammed her energy whip into the ground and send out a tremor. As the dust settled and those hundreds of knights still left alive, barely or otherwise, scampering away from Raine, Raine walked forward and drew her katana from its sheath, twirling it around in her right hand before cutting through knight after knight in her path with single strikes. A giant 50 foot mech in the image of a knight stomped its foot down a short distance in front of Raine as she resheathed her blade. Raine kept on walking forward, grabbing one knight, whose helmet had been knocked off, by the head as she walked along. The kitsune stopped and looked up to the mech as its targeting systems scanned her and all of its turrets and cannons locked onto her. Raine held the knight in her grasp up to the mech and showed the man's very soul be ripped from him to it, the knight decaying in her hands as she smirked. Upon completely absorbing his soul for no other reason then she could, Raine tossed his body away and let a violent aura of flames and bio-electricity engulf her. The area around Raine suddenly exploded with the surge of energy and out of the smoke and dust Raine lunged in a lean, 20 metre nine-tailed fox form like that of which her deceased father chose to take after the death of his wife and until his own death.


	37. Day 4: Back to Vale

"Well... they were okay for baseline mooks but nothing we haven't been fighting since training." Hanako shrugged, tossing a beowolf's head away. "At the least they're something new to fight." She folded her arms.

"Yeah, nice breather." Akiko spoke up, sat upon a pile of beowolves. "This place does seem interesting... wonder what its people are like? Its culture? Technology?"

"Ehh, they got airships, mechs and robots." Ravage chipped in.

"A little more advanced then, I'm guessing." Impa muttered.

"Mechs?" Seijitsu rose her head with astounding speed, quickly looking over to the kitsune.

"Oh you've got her started now." Akiko chuckled.

"Maybe I can finally find a replacement for Rexy..." A smile steadily grew upon Seijitsu's face.

"Pretty sure mechas don't usually go well with stealth... you are supposed to be a master of stealth after all." Ravage smirked, folding his arms.

"I could never tell, what with the pink hair... and then there's utter lack of consideration for any kind of camouflage." Impa snarked. Seijitsu hung down from the tree Impa leaned against and tapped her Oni friend on the shoulder before disappearing from sight again to reappear sat next to Akiko within the blink of an eye. Impa rolled her eyes in response as Seijitsu and Akiko waved at her. "Smartass..."

"That wasn't even a matter of speed or teleportation..." Ravage muttered.

"I know, I know." Impa replied.

"So who's up for dinner? On me, of course." Ravage inquired, looking around to the others.

"You're pretty fast." Akiko chuckled.

"I don't follow." Ravage responded, looking over to Akiko. "I mean, after a certain power threshold I can easily break the..."

"Yep... didn't think he would." Akiko remarked, looking to Hanako. Hanako nodded back.

"Actually I was feigning ignorance." Ravage interjected. "I have no interest in such matters. Don't see the point. Well I do, but ehh... wasn't born for such things." He continued. "Plus it'd be weird with my current physical age... you know that was always the weird thing about Neo..." Ravage went off on a tangent. "Guess he's just naturally short... poor kid." Ravage couldn't help but snicker. The others stared at each other and shrugged. "Oh sorry, got distracted there." Ravage caught himself.

"Well anyway, I'm down for a meal." Hanako spoke up.

"I think we're all a bit peckish." Seijitsu followed up. Akiko and Impa nodded.

"Wonderful, because I'm starving." Ravage smiled.

"I get the feeling you have two hobbies, fighting and eating." Impa looked to the kitsune.

"I have others, I just like them the most." Ravage shrugged with a smirk.

"Can't really fault you." Impa replied.

"Must be a fighter's thing." Akiko chuckled. "Alright, let's go get a meal." Akiko jumped off the pile of slowly deteriorating Grimm bodies, followed by Seijitsu immediately after.

"It seems to be about a 20 minute walk from here to the civilization... give or take." Hanako looked out to the horizon.

"Ahh, about the length of your average anime episode." Akiko commented, folding her arms. Ravage raised his right brow.

"Shall we teleport?" Hanako asked. Everyone nodded.

"Alright!" Akiko twirled around after reappearing besides Hanako along with Seijitsu and Impa, giving a thumbs up. Ravage rolled his right eye after stepping over to the girls. Seijitsu rolled her eyes and smiled afterwards.

"Okay..." Impa muttered. Hanako clicked her fingers and a beam of light engulfed the group.

"Wuaaaaahhhhhh! Teleportation, yeah! Wuaaaaaah! Zabadu bap dap" Ravage folded his arms as the light completely overtook them. "I can do references to..."

* * *

Ravage rested his sheathed katana behind his neck, grasping the sword's hilt in his right hand whilst holding the end of the scabbard in his left, as he walked along with Akiko; Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa down a street in the city of Vale.

"This ain't a half bad place." Akiko commented as they walked, looking around at the buildings. "An interesting change of scenery from Tokyo."

"Food ain't bad either." Seijitsu spoke up. Akiko nodded.

"Huh, so this is what a normal day in a city looks like..." Impa muttered.

"You never had a day out?" Ravage looked back and inquired.

"No. Even though our world is aware of the... supernatural... good relations between Earth and the Underworld are potentially thousands of years away, and the Underworld especially isn't in any rush to get there." A man walking past the group took a double-take at Ravage and Impa. "I'd just draw unwanted attention if I walked around a human city."

"That why you're so willing to turn on the Underworld?" Ravage asked. Impa nodded slowly.

"I have no home there, no family. Despite it all, Earth and its people have been much kinder to me then my own has ever been... I know it's our nature, and I know many have good reason to hate humanity but... I will not let the transgressions of the past dictate my future. I'd love to see peace between humans and demons, and if I have to fight those of my own who would see Earth burn for all the time I have to work towards that peace... then so be it." Impa explained. "Besides..." She picked herself up. "Anybody who goes up against us is stupid. Killing them is not just business, it's a favour to the universe."

"You'd think they'd learn not to mess with you lot, considering two of you are now on planet-destroying level when you go all out." Ravage chuckled.

"Well, that's just it." Impa replied. "In my culture the stronger your foe the greater the honor there is in fighting them: regardless of the outcome."

"Honor? I just call it fun." Ravage smirked.

"Well, there's that as well." Impa shrugged.

"I don't really care about the attention I get though when I go places, I was having noodles in Tokyo actually when Akiko was fighting one of those big battle mech things down the street during that whole Genesis thing." Ravage followed up.

"I thought I saw you at a noodle bar..." Akiko scratched her head.

"Yeah, round about before you went all kind of crazy with that Dark Akiko awakening thing." Ravage recalled.

"Urrgh..." Akiko shivered. "Thank Ryujin I got that Orochi essence out of my system."

"Yeah, you're not cut out for that stuff." Hanako interjected.

"Take it from the former revenant back there." Ravage pointed behind him to Hanako. Hanako frowned and rolled her eyes. "Though you still keep most of your revenant powers... convenient."

"Quite." Hanako nodded. She opened up her left palm and flames engulfed her entire forearm. "Hellfire is still rather useful." Hanako clenched her left hand into a fist and the flames faded away as she lowered her arm back down. "The stress it's supposed to put on my human body isn't even noticeable now, if it's even there at all."

"Still not as good as my flames." Ravage smirked. Hanako chuckled.

"If you're going to try and have a 'dick measuring contest' with a woman, well, you must've been born with the world's cruellest handicap." She snarked. "My flames can still burn with the best of them."

"Ah well, I still have a healing factor. Try not to lose any limbs again." Ravage snarked in return.

"I swear that was a running gag..." Hanako sighed.

"How does your healing factor work anyway?" Akiko questioned the kitsune as they stopped at a crossing, waiting for the traffic to stop. "I know Hanako's... well, Kasairyu's was because she was a spirit and all that."

"I just kind of tell my body to heal when I want or need to." Ravage answered.

"So can you still heal naturally?" Seijitsu inquired.

"Of course, but it's nowhere near as fast as when I tell my body to do so. Depending on how much effort I put in I could regenerate from a single cell within the blink of an eye if need be. Never had to though." Ravage responded. "So, who wants to go see some sights?"

"Nothing wrong with tourism." Akiko smiled. "Let's see what this place has."


	38. Night 4: Two Ninjas Walk Into A Club

"Wow... this place looks even better at night." Impa muttered as she looked out to the city of Vale from the rooftops, Seijitsu sit down to her left and Ravage leaning against a chimney with his arms folded. Impa put her hands on her hips as the wind blew through her crimson hair. Ravage smiled and nodded.

"I wonder if Akiko and Hanako found a good place to have some fun...?" Seijitsu spoke up as she looked over to Ravage.

"I'm sure they have." Ravage answered. "Why didn't you go with them?"

"Somebody needs to help you keep ol' grumpy company considering she didn't feel like clubbing." Seijitsu chuckled, pointing to Impa. "She's not the best at social interaction."

"Amazingly, neither am I." Ravage snarked. Impa was distracted by the lights and view but quickly shuck her head and turned to look down at Seijitsu.

"Hey!" Impa frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"And there she was all wrapped up in the view." Ravage rolled his eyes. "Heh, well, let's go see what we can do in the meantime." Ravage stopped leaning against the chimney. "I do wonder what they're up to though..." The kitsune looked aside.

* * *

"Well, this looks like a very respectable place." Hanako smirked briefly as she and Akiko walked into Junior's Club. Akiko chuckled.

"I'm sure we can find something fun to do here." Akiko mused.

"How truly wonderful the mind of a child is. I just knew you'd go looking for trouble..." Hanako glanced to Akiko, muttering to herself. Akiko rolled her eyes. "At least allow us to get a drink or two first."

"Of course." Akiko smiled. "Hardly ever get the chance otherwise." A few henchmen had taken notice of the two women.

"I feel like something strong." Hanako commented.

"Ehh, I'll just get something light. Not really a drinker, just felt like relaxing a little." Akiko shrugged.

"Of course." Hanako smirked again. Akiko punched her in the shoulder and Hanako laughed. More and more henchmen watched them walk to the bar. "I assume we won't be killing..." Hanako looked to Akiko as they continued along.

"They don't deserve it, only lowly thugs. No one dangerous." Akiko nodded.

"If you say so." Hanako nodded back. "Though with their music taste..."

"Hanako..." Akiko frowned.

"You know I'm joking..." Hanako sighed. "But what about that bear guy? I mean..."

"No. He's kind of funny looking." Akiko cut Hanako off.

"Funny isn't how I'd describe it but oh well." Hanako replied as they stopped at the bar.

"Hi, I'll take a beer." Akiko smiled as she leaned on the bar, left forearm resting on the top of it.

"And I'll have whatever the strongest you have here is." Hanako followed up.

"Coming right up." The bar keep nodded and set up getting their drinks.

"Nice lightshow though." Akiko noted as she and Hanako turned to look out to the dance floor.

"Not too shabby, I'll give 'em that much. Granted we do have very limited experience with such establishments, so what do we really know?" Hanako shrugged and nodded.

"True, true." Akiko admitted.

"This has been a nice change of pace though." Hanako folded her arms. "We got nothing to worry about round here and we can just kick back and..."

"Enjoy a good old fashioned adventure?" Akiko smiled, looking over to her friend.

"Hmm... yeah." Hanako smiled faintly. "No big dilemmas, no world threats... it's all just a bit of relaxation doing what we do best at our free will." She followed up. "No responsibilities for once. Never thought I'd see the day."

"I hear ya." Akiko turned to grab her drink and pay for it with Hanako. Akiko took hold of a beer bottle and Hanako picked up a shot glass. They turned back around, drinks in hand. "Still, I wouldn't trade our life for anything... the world depends on us and I'm happy to save it again and again... even if we don't go down in the history books, even if we're not heroic in the classical sense... just being there when we need to be and knowing we're doing all that good stuff... it's all I ask for, to keep on keeping on."

"Hmm..." Hanako considered Akiko's words. She always did maintain a level of optimism about it all. "Yeah." Hanako nodded. "Here's to us. To fighting in the shadows, to maintain the light... or however else you'd put that sappy crap." She chuckled. Akiko and Hanako gently bashed their bottle and shot glass together before they took a swig each, Hanako taking her entire shot in the process. "Heh, not half bad..." Hanako put her now empty shot glass on the bar behind her. "Well anyway, your master gave you better life lessons then mine ever did. They were just another run of the mill teacher. Got the job done though, all I needed." Hanako looked back over to Akiko.

"Yeah." Akiko took another swig of her beer. Hanako nodded solemnly. "Still..." Akiko looked up, her smile returning. "Dad helped too, and so did... well, you know." She chuckled.

"And Seijitsu couldn't have a better master because of it... even if she has ended up too soft because of it." Hanako added.

"Thanks." Akiko looked to Hanako and smiled. "Though I still say you're even better in that teaching/leadership area... I don't think I could lead a clan, especially not as well as you do."

"I try..." Hanako sighed. "I have to honor my family and birth clan in the best way possible, else I will have ruined my second chance." She continued.

"You do good, Hanako. Real good." Akiko patted her fellow shinobi on the back. "Never forget that."

"Hey, wanna buy some..." The henchman that had stepped over to the two was almost immediately cut off.

"You don't want to sell me whatever those are." Hanako shot him a death glare.

"I don't wanna sell you these." The henchman looked away awkwardly, putting the glowing sticks back into his pocket.

"You want to go home and re-think your life." Hanako's left fist became engulfed in hellfire.

"I, uh, I want to go home and re-think my life." The henchman gulped, turned around and walked as fast as he possibly could away. Akiko took a sip of her beer.

"I give it two minutes before things get fun." She smirked.

"Hah." Hanako folded her arms. "One."

"Great..." Junior rubbed his eyes as he watched Akiko and Hanako from across the room. "Older ones... professionals... somebody get me a drink." He turned to one of his lackeys.


	39. Night 4: Playtime

"Heh..." Akiko put her empty beer bottle on the bar behind her and smirked. "Only two." She turned her head to her left and looked at Hanako. "Only two snipers."

"I'd say let 'em hit us but the bullets would just bounce off if we were ready... that'd just be crueller." Hanako smirked back. "We should do it."

"You always were a bit of a dick like that..." Akiko shuck her head and chuckled, catching the bullet fired at her in her right hand.

"Well, somebody has to balance it all out, you and especially Seijitsu are too soft for our line of work." Hanako chuckled with Akiko as she caught the sniper round headed for her in her left hand. Akiko and Hanako stopped leaning against the bar, the barman immediately ducking down and hiding in turn. All of the henchmen in the club pulled out handguns and batons.

"Ehh, suppose it does give us some balance." Akiko twirled the bullet around her fingers before flicking it away and destroying a light hanging from the ceiling with it. Hanako crushed the bullet in her hand and dropped it to the ground as her orange eyes briefly glowed with power. "I'll take 30 on the right, you take 30 on the left."

"You're kidding? I'll take 31." Hanako cracked her neck from side to side.

"That's the spirit." Akiko dashed forward.

"Hey, I didn't say start." Hanako blocked another sniper shot with her left gauntlet before dashing off after Akiko.

"Hey, where'd they... Gah!" Akiko reappeared directly in front of the first henchman in her path and elbowed him in the gut before flipping over him, pinwheel kicking the henchman behind him in the process, and then sending him flying into the sniper across the room with a roundhouse kick. Akiko spun around as she moved forward, dodging several bullets, and drew her two wakizashis along the way: flipping them around in her hands so she'd strike with the blunt sides. Akiko leapt up into the air and the henchmen closest to her looked up to see her ready to strike: her back to the ceiling lights.

"Alright you jokers, I'll try not to break too many bones." Hanako reappeared with her arms folded behind a couple of henchmen with three more in front of her. "No promises." She unsheathed her katana and spun around to catch the two henchmen behind her on its blunt end before slamming them into the ground and then jumping forward to dive-kick a 3rd henchman in the face, jumping straight back off of his face and spinning around to send out two spear-kunai towards the other two henchmen. "Come here!" The chains wrapped around both men's waists and Hanako yanked them up into the air to slam their heads together before backflipping away as they fell back down to the ground. Hanako landed safely back down and blocked a baton strike from behind without even looking. She smirked.

"Over here!" Akiko used rapid movement to continually disappear and reappear around one henchman, leaving behind several afterimages before reappearing in front of him and uppercutting him into the air, flipping over him afterwards and dashing back down to the ground and kicking another henchman into the ground. Akiko stayed on him and used him to surf forward into a group of his friends, spinning around as she surfed through the group and unleashing multiple blue sword beams to strike them all before backflipping off of the downed henchman and letting him crash into a table. Akiko landed perfectly and brushed her left shoulder with a smirk as several more henchmen ran towards her.

"Oh this is just sad..." Hanako chuckled as she effortlessly dodged swing after swing from the henchman directly in front of her. She drew her sword and struck him in the gut with its blunt end, cutting off the man's wind. He stumbled back, clutching his stomach, whilst Hanako twirled her katana around and then resheathed it as she walked after him. Hanako then flicked him on the head and the henchman went flying across the room and collided with a few of his friends along the way. Another henchmen tried to jump Hanako from behind but she disappeared in a torrent of flames and reappeared behind him as he skidded to a halt and turned around, just knowing he was about to get it. Hanako delivered a powerful left hook to his face and would have broke his jaw with just a little more effort, but instead he was sent tumbling away only for Hanako to reappear behind the henchman again to deliver a swift kick to his back. Hanako looked to her right and gave the DJ in the bear suit a death glare. He looked around frantically before pulling out a machinegun to open fire on the kunoichi. Hanako quickly sent out a spear-kunai after thrusting her right arm towards him and pulled the DJ over to her: catching him by his throat as he reached her. Hanako then slammed him down into the ground, ducking under a sniper shot in the process before rising back up and throwing her sword at the sniper as if it was a boomerang. The DJ stumbled back onto his feet as Hanako caught her katana upon its return and made a run for it. Hanako rolled her eyes and sent out a small fireball to chase after him, the fireball catching up and setting the back of the head of the DJ's bear suit on fire. "That's for the crappy music, play something better next time we come round." Hanako remarked before parrying a baton strike from another henchman. She delivered several quick strikes with her weapon before kicking the stunned thug away and into another henchman.

"I thought she'd do something like that..." Akiko muttered, looking over to the DJ as he threw his bear suit head away and ran for safety: all whilst she delivered a series of rapid kicks to a henchman. "Not as drastic as I imagined though." Akiko jumped back and blasted the henchman with two sword beams, one from each of her blades. Several more henchmen ran past their downed allies and began to fire shot after shot from their handguns at Akiko. Akiko chuckled and effortlessly deflected each bullet with her wakizashis before returning them to their scabbards and cupping her hands at her right side. "Hadō..." The henchmen gave Akiko looks mixed with confusion and fright. A blue energy sphere appeared inbetween the ninja's hands. "Burasutā!" Akiko thrusted both of her arms forward and sent out a blue Ki ball straight towards Junior's lackeys.

"You didn't me we could use blasts." Hanako looked over her shoulder. She proceeded to teleport behind a henchman and then suplexed him into the ground before backflipping and landing on another henchman's shoulders, who she then proceeded to kick in the back of the head before jumping off of him and striking several more henchmen with the blunt side of her katana as she dashed inbetween them.

"Hey, use anything as long as its not used at a level that's going to be lethal to thesd guys." Akiko shrugged. She kicked a thug behind her into a wall and grabbed his baton out of the air and chucked it at another henchman off to her left with enough force to knock him out cold.

"Well then..." Hanako charged up two yellow energy spheres, one in each hand. She then fired off a barrage of blasts towards a group of six henchmen as they sprinted towards her.

"Ahh crap..." The one at the front muttered as he and his fellow henchmen skidded to a halt. immediately after they were all blasted away by Hanako's barrage and sent flying across the room. Out of the smoke Miltia Malachite and her twin sister Melanie walked. Hanako cracked her neck from side to side, she was indifferent to the two girls. Miltia readied her claws as Melanie took a quick look-over of her bladed heels.

"Hmm..." Akiko threw the last henchman in her way over her shoulder and onto a pile of his friends before walking over to the centre of the dance floor to join up with Hanako. "Nothing worse than bad fashion sense." She muttered, snickering to herself afterwards. Miltia and Melanie narrowed their eyes.

"I'm going to do everything I can to make her bleed now." Miltia raised her right arm, her claws in front of her face as she looked them over.

"Oh look, these attack dogs' have attitude..." Hanako folded her arms.

"Cow!" Melanie exclaimed.

"That'll be the closest to damage you'll ever do to me." Hanako responded dryly, mocking the girl. Melanie dashed forward, going in for a dashing kick. Hanako didn't budge. Melanie extended her right leg and went all in. Hanako held her off with her left index finger alone. "Learn some respect for your elders." Hanako flicked Melanie's foot and the teen was sent spinning backwards through the air, passing Miltia as she rushed towards Akiko.

"Nice claws." Akiko smiled as she jumped backwards repeatedly, dodging all of Miltia's attacks as Miltia pursued her. "I mean, they've got a good edge to them but they're not my style." Akiko continued to dodge claw swipe after claw swipe from Miltia.

"You don't have style!" Miltia lunged forward. Akiko landed on her claws and looked down at her.

"Look who's talking." Akiko retorted.

"This is the latest and best fashion!" Miltia went to stab Akiko in the ankles. Akiko jumped over her left arm as she swiped at her and landed behind the teen.

"And I say it's as terrible as ever." Akiko roundhouse kicked Miltia away before she even knew what was going on. "Seriously, I am not a dress, or anything along those lines, kind of woman."

"I'll wipe that smug look off your face!" Melanie leapt forward and went in with a flying kick. Hanako leaned to her left and let the girl fly past her. The kunoichi then brushed her right shoulder off. Melanie recovered and skidded along the floor before launching herself back to Hanako.

"I've killed for lesser transgressions, kid." Hanako dodged Melanie's flurry of lightning fast kicks before retaliating with a swift punch to the gut. Melanie's wind was cut off and she stumbled backwards as Hanako cracked her knuckles. "Be thankful I'm just playing with you... seriously, you could never imagine how much I'm holding back here."

"Damn... huntresses... always so... cocky." Melanie growled, catching her breath and getting herself together. "I'd better get paid for this." She dashed forward.

"Hyaargh!" Miltia jumped up and went in for a downwards strike with her claws against Akiko, who dodged to the side and countered with a strike from the blunt sides of both of her wakizashis to Miltia's stomach. "Gah!"

"You're too easy to read, work on that form." Akiko spoke up before Miltia flew back and tumbled along the floor. Miltia recovered and stabbed her claws into the ground to bring herself to a halt only for Akiko to jump in and hit her in the face with a dive kick.

"What she said." Hanako struck Melanie with a right hook to the face, followed up with a left hook, before kicking her in the chest and knocking her across the dance floor. "Come back here!" Hanako sent out a spear-kunai aftet thrusting her right arm forward and had the chain wrap around Melanie's waist before she yanked her over to her.

"Well, this was a fun distraction." Akiko parried Miltia's claws with her blades before exploiting her foe's opening to uppercut her into the air. Akiko then kicked her in the side of the head and sent her flying over to Hanako. Hanako proceeded to fling Melanie overhead, slam her into the ground, before swinging her around and launching her towards her sister as she flew at her. Miltia and Melanie collided in mid-air and then crashed down to the ground with a thud and pained groans. "You think we should've held back more?" Akiko put her hands on her hips and looked to Hanako.

"Ehh." Hanako just shrugged, looking around. They sure had made a mess of the place during it all.

"Right..." Junior growled, transforming his club weapon into its bazooka form as he walked towards Akiko and Hanako. The two ninjas turned to look at him. Junior took aim with his weapon, stopping a good distance away from Akiko and Hanako. "Chew on these!" He unleashed a barrage of missiles upon the two. Akiko grinned and rushed forward but Hanako just folded her arms and watched. Akiko jumped from missile to missile, slicing them up with her blades along the way and letting them explode afterwards whilst Hanako stood in place and tanked all of the explosions. As the last one targetting Hanako blew up Akiko jumped onto the last missile in her way and began surfing on it through the air, doing a few tricks around the club as the smoke and dust settled around Hanako: revealing she had not a scratch on her and a wild blue aura flaring around her. Akiko jumped off the missile and let it fly into the ceiling, exploding above her as she landed beside Hanako and resheathed her wakizashis. "Oh come on!" Junior threw his arms up into the air as Miltia, Melanie and the fee henchmen that could all got back up onto their feet. A wild blue aura engulfed Akiko as well as she and Hanako looked around at everybody getting back up.

"Well, I suppose we can give 'em a stylish finish." Akiko rubbed the bottom of her nose with a smirk.

"Not that they're worth it... but it's for fun after all." Hanako couldn't help but smirk too, unfolding her arms.

"Shall we?" Akiko looked to Hanako. Hanako nodded. Their auras went from blue to gold and they began to power up. "Let's show them something... super." Hanako groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Hrrrgh..." Akiko and Hanako clenched their fists, now back to back, as their hair waved in the violent winds created by their auras. "Grrrggghhh..." Their eyes turned from dark hazel and orange respectively to a deep crimson. "Grr..." The ground started to crack around them. "Aaaaarrrrgggghhh!" Akiko's hair became upturned and spiky, leaving only a trio of locks over her left eye and Hanako's hair had its parted bangs spike up: both womans' hair flashing between their natural jet black and shining gold during the process before beams of light engulfed them and blinded the others briefly.

* * *

"AHHHHHHH!" The collective terrified screams of Junior and his henchmen echoed into the night.

"GAH! MY BALLS!" Junior's pain overshadowed everybody elses. "WHY? WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE MY BALLS?!"


	40. Night 4: An Unspoken Secret

Ravage, Impa and Seijitsu all sat around the living room of a log cabin, Impa and Seijitsu sat upon the couch with Ravage sat upon an armchair off to their left. The room was illuminated and kept warm by the burning wood in the fireplace in front of the couch, a wooden table placed inbetween the fireplace and couch and which Ravage had put his feet up upon as he sat back. Seijitsu was busy tinkering with a strange device at the time and Impa was watching the crackling flames of the fireplace in a tranquil frame of mind. They were waiting for Akiko and Hanako and Ravage had made use of the manipulation of time and space to bring a cozy little log cabin which they could all rest up in to them on the outskirts of the city of Vale. Ravage smiled as the heat of the fire brought warmth to the room and he relaxed in his chair, this passing moment of tranquillity not bothering him too much. It reminded him of his own home, though only lightly: this could only barely be considered a fragment of the luxury he found there, and yet he was always wishing to get out. Ravage became restless much quicker than his mother, he was young in both body and spirit, age a different matter, and with the infinite space known as reality as his playground he couldn't help himself. It was in fleeting moments like this the kitsune sometimes wondered what drove him to such frequent activity. How much of it was because of his heritage? How much of it was his young form? These were some of the questions he pondered, but then he got bored of the philosophy and his mind wondered off elsewhere.

* * *

Akiko and Hanako appeared in a flash of light at the edge of a small forest and bottom of the hill upon which Ravage had the log cabin placed. They looked up to see the lights of the cabin on, everybody was still up.

"Huh, he got an entire building..." Akiko muttered.

"Doesn't look half bad either." Hanako put her hands on her hips. A pair of glowing green eyes watched them from the shadows of the forest.

"Well, I don't know about you but I feel like a good cup of herbal tea, come on." Akiko smiled and began walking up the hill.

"So, we just going to ignore the thing watching us?" Hanako inquired as she kept up with her rival. Akiko shrugged.

"If it attacks, it attacks..." Before Akiko could even fully finish Hanako drew her katana and in the blink of an eye had sliced through the beast as it lunged out from treeline. Akiko looked over her shoulder and saw Hanako stood with her back to her as she twirled her sword around before returning it to its scabbard on her back. "Hey, looks like you got a special one." Akiko clapped, seing the now dead Grimm on the floor at Hanako's feet. It was a beowolf but one unlike its common brethren. Its eyes were a sickly green, just like the jagged crystals that jutted out of its back and arms and neon markings over its black body.

"Didn't feel special." Hanako turned around and smirked.

"Again, we should hold back more here." Akiko replied.

"Heh. Alright, let's go get some tea and rest up." Hanako walked past Akiko, patting her on the back as she past. Akiko smiled and followed after her.

* * *

Ravage's ears twitched as he heard Akiko and Hanako outside of the cabin's front door and he opened his right eye just as they entered, seeing the two walk into the cabin: Hanako closing the door behind them after they stepped into the house.

"Hey, Ravage." Akiko smiled at the kitsune. "Oh..." She looked over to the couch and saw Seijitsu and Impa asleep. Seijitsu's head rested on Impa's right leg. Akiko stopped herself from laughing just in time. Hanako noticed their friends too.

"Oh, Impa is going to be pissed." Hanako chuckled. She and Hanako walked over to Ravage, walking around the couch and their sleeping friends.

"Impa dozed off and she started muttering in her sleep, seemed like a bad dream, so Seijitsu decided to rest up with her and see if she calmed." Ravage explained, whispering to Akiko and Hanako as they stood off to his right. "She did."

"Seijitsu knows Impa doesn't like her personal space being invaded." Akiko folded her arms and shuck her head with a small smile. "But that's Seijitsu for ya, too caring for her own good."

"Indeed." Hanako muttered.

"Right, well, time to get Seijitsu to her bed." Akiko unfolded her arms. "Not risking Impa's wrath myself." Akiko joked.

"Yeah, thought I'd leave it to you." Ravage nodded. "Bedrooms are at the back, one for all four of you and one for me. Got 'em marked. Could always put them in the same room though."

"Now that's cruel." Hanako smirked.

"Almost tempted but you know Impa." Akiko smirked back.

"Well, I'll go put the tea on." Hanako turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Right, I'll deal with this." Akiko nodded.

"What a mundane use of ninja skills this wil be." Ravage scratched the back of his left ear.

"Wouldn't be the first time I've had to settle Seijitsu in somewhere." Akiko recalled Seijitsu's younger years.

"Hmm..." Ravage nodded. Akiko stepped over to the couch and scooped Seijitsu up in her arms, lifting her ever so gently up before turning and carrying her out of the room with unnatural silence. As Akiko left Impa opened her eyes and watched Akiko leave before drifting her gaze over to Ravage. The kitsune gave her a thumbs up as he sat back in his chair. Impa narrowed her eyes before closing them again and returning to sleep for then. There was an unspoken secret between the two, and Ravage couldn't help but chuckle lightly.


	41. Day 5: A Little Heart to Heart

Ravage sat upon a small rock outside of his log cabin, his legs crossed and head resting in his left hand as the gentle morning wind blew through his head fur, his three tails hanging off the side of the rock. His right eye was closed and he had a small smile on his face. The kitsune was in the middle of a little nap. Akiko came walking out of the cabin, tightening her headband on the way out and looked over to the little demon resting on the rock off to her left. The kunoichi walked over and smiled, sitting down besides Ravage and crossing her legs as the wind blew through her parted black hair. Ravage slowly opened his right eye and glanced over to Akiko.

"Good morning." He spoke up.

"Morning. Weather is nice, not a cloud in sight and the wind is calm." Akiko looked to Ravage and smiled back. "You're up earlier then I expected for a guy who prefers to sleep for years."

"Ah well, outside of my house I can't afford to do that, so more human sleeping patterns are for the best. Not that it's actually a problem, because I don't have to sleep for years: I just do because I can." Ravage responded. "It is really refreshing though... granted, get passed the millions and my body starts to ache when I do get up, heheh." He continued.

"I can't even begin to imagine what that's like." Akiko looked forward.

"It's quiet..." Ravage answered.

"Do you dream?" Akiko asked. Ravage shuck his head.

"Well, not often." He looked back to Akiko. "When it's not just darkness, I dream... but, I don't know which I prefer... it feels... strange when I dream, very strange."

"Why wouldn't you want to dream? Nothing but the dark for all that time... I don't wanna think about it, and I was trained as someone who should appreciate the dark." Akiko inquired.

"Dreams are like anything else, Akiko, they affect reality." Ravage replied. "Just like everything else they can spawn an infinite number of universes." The kitsune explained. "Just like how the actions of a single cell in your body or a particle in the air can also do so. Every second an infinite number of alternate realities are born, and every other second an infinite number of them die. Creation balanced with destruction." Ravage looked up to the sky. "An ever reproducing multiverse."

"That's... that's something..." Akiko muttered.

"But tell me Akiko, what happens when someone who wasn't originally a natural part of this system contributes to it?" Ravage questioned the ninja. Akiko couldn't immediately answer. "I'm not fully sure myself..." Ravage looked at his demon arm. "The one time I intended to, I brought my mother's birth world back from the brink, I turned it from a remnant of a lost multiverse into a working part of this new one. Not only did I save my mom from an eternal coma in the process but I was no longer the only being to look like this." Ravage pointed to himself. "Neo is just one of an infinite number of mes now, none as strong of course, but still: now I have my own legacy."

"But this is all good stuff." Akiko interjected.

"Nothing is ever so simple, just as this resulted in an infinite number of Gaias with good times, so is there countless with only pain. A balance." Ravage continued. "But I've never been balanced... what if my dreams, become nightmares for everybody else?"

"Isn't that something everybody could ask?" Akiko retorted. Ravage smiled.

"Maybe so." The kitsune nodded. "But still, dreaming concerns me a little... and remember, I'm still mostly fine with destroying entire universes, inhabited or not, accidentally or otherwise. But that's just the result of my lifestyle, in the grand scheme of things as long as reality runs smoothly whatever I do doesn't actually matter."

"I may not agree with that but that's just common morality for you. For all I know you're a vital part of this big, confusing system we call reality." Akiko responded. "And if so then you're hell of a lot better suited to it then someone like me, my humanity would only be a hindrance."

"Regardless of whatever I am for the multiverse, I don't care as long as I have fun, between you and me I like doing what you'd consider good stuff over bad anyway, the bad stuff gets boring really quickly for me... plus being the 'good guy' doesn't mean I can't be destructive." Ravage shrugged.

"See, if that's the case then you're not a bad person Ravage. Never thought you have been anyway, you just don't have that vibe." Akiko patted him on the back. "Honestly, I think it's all just an act."

"An act?" Ravage raised his right brow.

"I think you're only truly happy being good." Akiko smirked. "No matter how much you say you don't care either way and no matter how distant you try to be from human morality there's something in you Ravage, something that I think is driving you towards a more regular morality. I mean, I'm no saint and I've saved my world twice over thus far, so being 'pure' is definitely not necessary. Just having good enough standards is, and I can say you have them."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ravage shrugged. "At the very least, I know I'm not as bad as my predecessor, from what I can recall of him. Granted, Of course I'd of done all of the exact same stuff, I mean we are technically the same person and all... and things did get better in the end for everything so... ehh."

"What is your relation to him?" Akiko scratched her head, recalling this was not a topic which she was unfamiliar with.

"It would be easiest to describe me as a reincarnation, or something along those lines." Ravage rubbed his chin. "I'm sure it's a little more complicated but I don't feel like thinking about it."


	42. Day 5: Reminiscing

"So, how was your clubbing experience?" Ravage asked Akiko as he chewed upon a meat chunk which he had ripped clean off of a rather large slab of meat on a bone.

"It was alright." Akiko answered with a smile. "Me and Hanako should've held back more though."

"Heheh, that mistake happens to all of us." Ravage chuckled. He took another bite out of the meat slab.

"That's almost comically large, you know? Especially in your hands." Akiko took note of the food in Ravage's left hand.

"I know. It's of a special variety, picked the recipe up on my travels. Actually, just before I came and invited you girls on this 'holiday'. From a shinobi funnily enough as well..." Ravage responded. "Though I use that term loosely, seriously she had zero regard for stealth. She was purely of the mindset of beat the crap out of anything in her path, as hard and as fast as possible." The kitsune added.

"Even I still use a little stealth these days, granted only for the novelty of it all." Akiko muttered.

"She seemed to be the strongest in that verse, guess she really didn't need it. Yet despite being the best out of her peers, the woman had a delinquent look to her... guess it's just her style. Had a great fight with her though, she really wanted that last slab of meat. It was a bizarre misadventure." Ravage chuckled again.

"It's like everyone who fights is required to have a huge appetite or something..." Akiko rolled her eyes and chuckled with Ravage.

"It's called a trope." Ravage took another bite. "Besides, I've seen you and the others scoff down some pretty big meals."

"Hey, if it's good, it's good." Akiko shrugged.

"I'll eat to that." Ravage winked back. "So how's your training coming along? You know, your Super form and all."

"Well, I feel like I'm close to breaking its current limits, it's just a matter of making that final push." Akiko answered as Ravage chewed on a chunk of meat.

"Think you'll discover a new form or something?" The kitsune inquired.

"Honestly? Yeah." Akiko nodded. "I think I can find a way to go beyond regular Super, find something even stronger. Maybe some kind of ascended version of it." She added.

"Sounds about right." Ravage shrugged and smirked. "Just keep at it. I'm sure Hanako will be right behind you on it." Akiko chuckled.

"I'm sure she will." Akiko laid back on the grass, resting her head in her arms as she looked up towards the sky. "Boy oh boy, we really have come a long way..."

* * *

Akiko laid on the ground, in the dirt with a tree branch impaled through her left hip: blood staining her clothing and trailing from her lip. Orochi had blasted her all the way from the peak of Mount Fuji to the depths of Aokigahara forest. The eight-headed dragon had burst forth from the Underworld, breaking his way out of his prison and appearing atop Mount Fuji, crimson eyes glowing with power as his black scaled heads writhed and twisted around: his massive body coated in an aura of shadow. His return was complete, the gates of hell were open once more: the fires of his fued with his brother Ryujin would burn once more. Akiko coughed up blood as Orochi roared out in the distance. The rays of the glorious sunshine sent down such a blood red light. Animals retreated to the shadows, out of sight. The winds blew across the mountain side, giving flight to the birds of prey. Demons would come to transform Earth, day by day. Humanity would not forget the red sun over paradise. Akiko grated her teeth, pushing herself up with all the might she could muster.

"Not... yet... I'm not done just yet..." Akiko coughed up blood as she gathered her strength. "somebody... has to... stop you, you... bastard..." Akiko pulled herself free of the tree branch: her blood spewing out from the open wound as she finally freed herself. "Grr... I can... still fight..." Akiko stumbled to her feet, dropping both of her Wakizashis as she got back on her feet. "I can... still... fight..." Akiko coughed up more blood. "I need to... beat you..." Akiko clenched her fists. "True power comes in... response to... a need... not a desire... right?" She steadied herself. "Power... I need more power!" Akiko's aura flared up around, flashing rapidly between blue and gold. "I... won't give up... power... I need more power. I need to beat him..." The kunoichi's power surged. "I can't let everyone die!" Her aura managed to stick to gold, the ground now cracking up around her. "I... won't let you... get away with this..." Akiko grunted, lightning flashing behind her followed by the crack of thunder. Akiko bowed her head, fists clenched. "OROCHI!" Akiko screamed up to the heavens, a golden light bursting forth from her and rising skyward. Orochi looked with all of his heads to the beam of light, growling to himself. "AAAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Akiko was in the centre of the beam, rising up into the sky herself as she transformed. The pillar of light began to fade away, leaving Akiko floating in the sky above Aokigahara forest: her back turned to Orochi as he looked away and growled intensely. Her wounds had all been healed and she was engulfed in a blazing aura, hair spiky and golden and eyes crimson with power. Akiko looked over her left shoulder, to Orochi, as she floated in mid-air. Lightning flashed around her and the boom of thunder quickly followed. Orochi turned his attention to the commotion, over to Akiko.

"You are... a persistent human. But persistence will only get you so far." The eight-headed dragon's voice shook the very ground, its booming and devilish tone bludgeoning its way through the air.

"Humph..." Akiko turned to face Orochi. She looked down at her open palms before clenching them into fists once more and then looked back up to Orochi. "This... this must be Ryujin's blessing. The power. The energy. It's incredible." Akiko narrowed her eyes. "Hmm... you can call me... Super Akiko!" She spun around once in mid-air before stopping and pointing straight to Orochi with her right index finger. "I am the one who will defeat you!"

"Arrogance, such arrogance." Orochi dismissed Akiko's claim. Akiko smirked, getting into her fighting stance.

"This ends here, Orochi. For the sake of the Earth, and everyone on it: I will defeat you." Akiko blasted off, flying at amazing speeds straight towards Mount Fuji and Orochi and leaving behind a blazing trail of golden energy in her wake.

"Give up and accept humanity's fate!" Orochi let loose a stream of dark purple ki from each of his eight mouths: each one aimed in Akiko's direction.

"Never!" Akiko flew around, under and over each beam: dodging them effortlessly before picking up speed and blasting off with enough force to leave behind a sonic boom. "With this new power, it's my destiny to defeat you! I know that for certain." Akiko stopped at the edge of Mount Fuji, Orochi looking down at her with all 16 glowing red eyes. "The real fight starts now!" Akiko's aura flared up.

"So be it! I will gladly introduce you to oblivion!" Orochi roared out. Akiko got back into her fighting stance and narrowed her eyes.

"Bring it!" Akiko blasted forward.


	43. Day 5: Beginnings

Hanako stepped out of the front door of Ravage's cabin and looked over to her left to see Ravage and Akiko sat besides one another and laughing together as they talked. Hanako briefly smiled before they noticed her, turning their heads over to her.

"Look who decided to drag themselves out of bed." Ravage smirked.

"Somebody has to be monitoring you two." Hanako smirked back. "You both have a habit for getting into unnecessary trouble."

"Unnecessary?" Ravage and Akiko asked simultaneously.

"I prefer the term fun." Ravage added. Akiko shrugged and nodded. Hanako rolled her eyes.

"Exactly the mentality I don't allow in my clan." She folded her arms.

"No wonder I find your ninjas a little boring." Ravage smirked.

"She says this having come with me for a night out on the town just last night." Akiko chuckled.

"I'm on holiday." Hanako defended.

"Do as I say, not as I do, hey?" Ravage chuckled with Akiko.

"Exactly." Hanako grinned. "I wonder if your mother gets tired of saying that." Ravage burst out into laughter and fell off of the rock he had been sitting on and continued to have a laughing fit on the floor as he rolled from side to side. Hanako's eyes widened and she and Akiko look to each othef before Ravage jumped onto his feet and caught his breath.

"You clearly don't know my mom." Ravage smiled and rubbed the underside of his nose with his right index finger. "So, Seijitsu and Impa still asleep?"

"It appears so." Hanako answered.

"Well, we did get up earlier then usual." Akiko shrugged. "Breakfast anyone?"

"Never thought you'd ask." Ravage responded.

"I'll cook." Hanako interjected. "Consider it a treat."

"Aww, how kind of you." Akiko patted Hanako on the back.

"I don't trust Ravage in the kitchen." Hanako admitted.

"Wise." Ravage muttered and nodded. Akiko chuckled.

"Alright, let's see what you can do." Akiko looked back to Hanako and smiled. "Miss Grand Master."

"Jealous I know how to do more than microwave food and pot noodles?" Hanako snarked back.

"Hey, I get only the best." Akiko retorted. Ravage stood there and watched the two kunoichi snark at one another and recalled how far along the two had come, from fated enemies to uneasy allies and rivals to close friends. An age old tale of how the foe of today can be the friend of tomorrow.

* * *

It was in one of the harshest regions of the Underworld that Akiko and Kasairyu faced one another during the Orochi crisis. Kasairyu looked physically the same as Hanako but her clothing was quite different in a few ways. For one she did not wear any form of headband, and instead of a yellow ashigaru shirt she wore yellow shinobi battle armor with multiple straps over her shoulders and around her waist; a black belt around her hip from which two yellow cloth flaps dangled, at both her front and back. Underneath she wore a sleeveless black jumpsuit. Attached to her armor were a pair of yellow pi bo shoulder guards and on her arms were the same yellow gauntlets she would continue to wear as Hanako, and on her lower legs were the same pair of yellow ashigaru greaves with black sandals she would also wear as Hanako: the rest of her legs covered by her black jumpsuit. The two kunoichi stared down as Akiko stood upon a rock spire in the middle of a lava river as Kasairyu looked down upon her from atop a larger spire a short distance down the boiling river. Akiko stood there with her arms at her sides and the tail-ends of her red headband flowing off to her left as embers drifted up around her whilst Kasairyu looked down upon the white-clad shinobi with her arms folded and a scowl upon her face. Akiko narrowed her eyes and then smirked as Kasairyu looked upon her with contempt.

"I'm going to give you one last chance, stay out of my way and leave here at once, or I'll kill you where you stand." Kasairyu spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Sorry, but I've got to stop Orochi from returning." Akiko responded, tightening the black belt around her waist.

"Idiot, you really believe you can tackle such a task, don't you?" Kasairyu shuck her head.

"I have to try." Akiko answered.

"Do you always try to throw your life away so recklessly or are you just that arrogant?" Kasairyu frowned.

"And you think you stand a better chance?" Akiko questioned.

"I'm not just going after him and his followers out of obligation, I'm doing this to find who killed my family, slaughtered my clan and made me into this abomination." Kasairyu replied.

"You're fighting for such selfish reasons." Akiko shuck her head. Kasairyu's eyes burned with fury. "This isn't about us, the entire Earth is in danger here, mankind could be wiped out. We can't be motivated by things like revenge, it's..."

"Shut up!" Kasairyu snapped, unfolding her arms and clenching her right fist in front of her face. "I don't care about anyone else!" Akiko frowned.

"Kasairyu, I understand the pain of loss but don't you understand the Earth means more than..." Akiko was cut off again.

"No!" Kasairyu threw her right arm out. "Watch your village burn to the ground, see your clan be slaughtered and hold your dying loved ones in your arms, then be refused peace yourself and turned into one of the very things you swore to destroy, and then tell me what has more meaning than revenge, then your own strength!" An aura of hellfire engulfed Kasairyu. "Tell me! Tell me!" Kasairyu screamed and Akiko remained silent. "You don't know anything..." Kasairyu's voice was filled with bitterness and rage. "You're a naive fool."

"I know I have to do the right thing for the right reasons, putting everyone else before myself." Akiko spoke up. "I have to fight no matter the odds. Stand aside or join me, Kasairyu."

"I have in me the blood of a super elite, you are nothing more than a low class and yet here you are, trying to dictate towards me." Kasairyu folded her arms again as her hellfire aura faded away.

"Even a low class can surpass an elite with enough training." Akiko remarked.

"Humph." Kasairyu brushed her comment off. "This ends here." She unfolded her arms. "Only one of us is going to stop Orochi."

"I am sorry... but I will do what I must." Akiko nodded.

"You will try." Kasairyu narrowed her eyes.


	44. Day 5: A Battle Long Past

Akiko and Kasairyu drew their weapons from their sheaths, Akiko holding her duel wakizashis in her hands and Kasairyu gripping her katana in her right hand. Their eyes were locked and a violent aura of hellfire sprouted up around Kasairyu as Akiko's blue aura flared up, her ki twisting around the ninja. The very spires they stood upon began to crack up as both shinobi powered up. The lava flowed beneath them and embers drifted up into the air around them. The spires which held them above the stream continued to crack up as their auras became more and more intense. Both women narrowed their eyes and tightened their grip upon their blades. As the spires were ready to crumble the auras of both Akiko and Kasairyu quickly calmed and then disappeared. Neither said a word. The lava lashed out at the now weakened spires. The two kunoichi launched themselves into the air, leaping at one another and just after their respective spires crumbled and collapsed into the lava below. Akiko and Kasairyu locked blades in mid-air, steel on steel, clashing together with such speed and force that the shockwave that blasted out from the collision shuck the immediate area and brought down several rocks from the ceiling. Akiko and Kasairyu backflipped away from one another and landed on the sides of two of these falling rocks before immediately launching themselves back off of them and flying at one another again. Their blades again clashed as they passed each other and then landed on the side of other falling rocks. They jumped off of these rocks as well and again had their swords clash as they met one another head-on. Akiko and Kasairyu spun around in mid-air as they struggled before kicking each other away and landing on the sides of falling rocks again. They took a split-second to stare down before leaping forward for a 3rd time. Akiko and Kasairyu clashed again and again in rapid-succession as they repeatedly jumped from off the side of falling rock after falling rock, flying past one another and both trying to strike the other as they did so. As they reached the lava stream below the ninjas engaged in one more mid-air blade lock before headbutting each other and then leaping away from one another to land atop two opposite falling rocks as one large chunk of the ceiling fell down inbetween the two. Kasairyu narrowed her eyes before leaping forward once more, just as Akiko leapt towards her as well. This time they took several swings at each other, the swing of their blades countering one another each time before both backflipped away and landed on the large platform below them as it splashed into the lava stream. Kasairyu twirled her katana around in her right hand as she and Akiko stared down.

"Humph..." Kasairyu rushed forward, sprinting towards Akiko. Akiko twirled her wakizashis around before rushing forward to meet Kasairyu head-on. Akiko spun around whilst moving forward and Kasairyu jumped towards her and spun through the air sideways. Their blades struck one another again, both of Akiko's wakizashis against Kasairyu's katana as the yellow-clad revenant hung in the air. Akiko used a series of backwards handstands to avoid Kasairyu's mid-air roundhouse before launching herself back at Kasairyu with a corkscrew kick. Kasairyu dodged to Akiko's right and brought her katana down in an attempt to strike Akiko. Akiko avoided the attack just in time by using a backwards flip to land on Kasairyu's katana. Kasairyu's eyes widened and Akiko immediately went to stab her in the back with both swords after jumping over Kasairyu. Kasairyu turned in time to parry Akiko's attack and then kicked her in the stomach, sending Akiko tumbling backwards. Kasairyu dashed after her and Akiko avoided Kasairyu's strike with a well-timed dash to the side after recovering, leaving behind an afterimage in her place. Kasairyu turned to block Akiko's leaping strike with her sword, holding her off before retaliating with a swing that Akiko twirled around and then retaliated against with swings of both of her wakizashis at once. Kasairyu jumped back and avoided the attack effortlessly before throwing forward her left arm: a spear-kunai on a chain materialising from flame and flying at Akiko. Akiko threw forward a set of three shurikans, the middle one hitting and stopping Kasairyu's spear-kunai in its tracks whilst the other two flew at her. Kasairyu quickly drew her sword from its scabbard on her back again and hit away both shurikans with it just as Akiko leapt into the air and flew at Kasairyu with her hands cupped at her side: a blue energy sphere inbetween her palms. Kasairyu's right forearm was engulfed in flame and she used a rising uppercut to strike Akiko, knocking her out of her attack and sending her flying back. Akiko recovered in time to make a safe landing back onto the platform and blocked Kasairyu's sword with her blades as Kasairyu reappeared in front of her. Kasairyu disappeared again and then reappeared behind Akiko, attempting to dive kick the kunoichi in the back. Akiko turned around in time to grab Kasairyu's foot and then went to slam her into the floor after lifting her over her, only for Kasairyu to save herself in time with her hands and then teleport out of Akiko's grasp. Akiko was struck with a right hook to her left cheek as Kasairyu reappeared besides her but managed to keep her footing so as not to be knocked to the ground. Akiko hit Kasairyu back with a left hook to her tight cheek and Kasairyu reeled back from the blow but kept her footing as well. Both ninjas went in with their bladds and the resulting clash as they countered one another knocked the two back, Akiko and Kasairyu skidding backwards from each other before recovering and dashing forwards at the same time. Both female shinobi dodged around each other's swords as they both went for the face and then parried one another again with their second strikes before stabbing one another in the gut with their 3rd successive attacks: Kasairyu's katana going through Akiko and Akiko's duel wakizashis in Kasairyu.

"Grr..." Akiko growled as they stumbled back from one another, both barely affected by the blades going through them. At the same time she and Kasairyu kicked the butt of the hilts of their swords so as to further drive their blades deeper into each other, stumbling back again afterwards. Akiko and Kasairyu pulled their blades out of one another and jumped back before reassuming their battle stances. Akiko using her ki to slowly heal her open wound and repaired her clothing as Kasairyu's body and clothing repaired itself with flames covering up the damage as it happened.

"Are you done warming up or is that all you've got?" Kasairyu questioned. "Because this time, I intend to kill you."

"Well, all the more reason to not lose again." Akiko retorted. Kasairyu disappeared from sight and reappeared directly in front of Akiko, the two clashing as the ground cracked up beneath them. Akiko and Kasairyu glared at one another as sparks flew between them and the part of the platform they stood upon became more damaged by the second. They dashed towards one another. Kasairyu brought her sword down and Akiko parried with the blade in her left hand whilst going to slash with the wakizashi in her right. Kasairyu jumped back and avoided the attack as Akiko went into a forwards spin. Kasairyu parried strike after strike as Akiko spun towards her. Their platform cracked up even more. Kasairyu backflipped away and upon landing sent forth a stream of hellfire from her left palm. Akiko twirled around her duel blades before stabbing them into the ground and erecting a wall of ice in front of her to protect herself from the onslaught of flames, channeling the ice from the ice spirit orb imbued into her weapons. It was one of three spirit orbs; fire, ice, lightning, all of which were standard gear for shinobi. Kasairyu's hellfire however had melted the wall within the blink of an eye, more than enough time for Akiko to act. Reappearing behind Kasairyu, Akiko attempted to stab the revenant in the head but Kasairyu reacted in time to send one of her spear-kunai into Akiko's left shoulder, Kasairyu promptly swinging Akiko overhead and slamming her into the floor. Kasairyu launched herself into the air and attempted to sent her blade through Akiko's head but Akiko stopped the katana with both of her blades and then kicked Kasairyu over her before jumping back onto her feet and launching a series of blue blade beams from her wakizashis before sending out on larger beam with a final swing of both her swords at once. Kasairyu effortlessly cut through each energy blast as they raced towards her before jumping over the final beam and landing in front of Akiko as they all exploded behind the yellow-clad kunoichi. Kasairyu and Akiko rapidly swung their weapons at one another and countered each other's strikes each and every time before both went in with a roundhouse kick and their left and right legs respectively clashed. The platform split between the two as they jumped back and they found themselves stood upon two smaller platforms, drifting down the lava river. Akiko swapped out her duel wakizashis for a standard katana, the sheathed blade appearing holstered on her back in its scabbard as her wakizashis and their scabbards disappeared with small flashes of light. Akiko drew her katana from its scabbard and held it in her right hand as her platform caught up to Kasairyu's platform. They looked each other in the eyes as embers drifted between them and the lava carried their small platforms along, Akiko and Kasairyu twirling their blades in their right hands around as they maintained a cold silence between them: contrasting with the searing heat surrounding them. Their platforms drifted closer together and the two tightened their grasp on the hilts of their swords as they slowly spun around and swapped sides.

"You're better then the last two times we fought. I will give you that." Kasairyu begrudgingly admitted.

"I am sorry." Akiko referred to her need to beat Kasairyu, denying her what she sought.

"Don't be." Kasairyu and swung their katanas at one another and both dodged each other's attacks before swinging again, their blades countering one another this time and the two immediately following up with a 3rd swing which resulted in them briefly locking blades. Kasairyu headbutted Akiko and went to drive her blade through her but Akiko recovered in time and deflected the blade away with a well-timed parry. Akiko went in to capitalise but Kasairyu met her attack head-on with a counterattack of her own. The two rapidly swung their katanas at each other and each lightning fast swing from one of them countered the other's swing. Akiko and Kasairyu continued to perfectly keep up with each other as their platforms carried them downstream. The shinobi locked blades yet again and struggled to overpower one another as they got closer and closer to a lavafall. Just as it seemed Kasairyu was about to overpower Akiko they quickly glanded aside and saw the drop off. Akiko took the opportunity to knee Kasairyu in the gut and then deliver a slash to her chest before backflipping off of her platform and land on a hill behind her. Kasairyu grated her teeth and twirled her sword around before teleporting over to Akiko just as her platform reached the lavafall. Akiko only just managed to block Kasairyu's strike from behind as the revenant reappeared behind her and then forced Kasairyu away with a kick as she jumped and spun around and forced Kasairyu to back off. Kasairyu sent out both of her spear-kunai afterwards and both went through Akiko's gut. Kasairyu drag her to her and delivered a swift knee to Akiko's chin before swinging her around and sending her crashing through a rock. Kasairyu teleported after her and reappeared above the dust and smoke, charging up fireballs in both hands. Kasairyu proceeded to launch fireball after fireball into the destruction, attempting to hit Akiko with as many as possible. Akiko reappeared above Kasairyu and dive kicked her in the face, smashing Kasairyu into the ground and backflipping off of her before she could retaliate. As Akiko landed back on the ground Kasairyu had already jumped back onto her feet and was dashing towards her. Akiko dashed forward to counter Kasairyu and the two deflected one another's attacks as they passed each other, both shinobi immediately turning back around and skidding to a halt. Both Akiko and Kasairyu took a few swings at each other but every time their blades clashed and neither could hit the other. The two began to spin and twirl their katanas around their bodies with increasing speed, swapping the swords from one hand to the next and continually twirling them around in each hand before finally returning them to their right hands at the same time and going in for an attack. Their speed however was even and neither exploied the other's opening, their swords clashing again and the women then immediately pulling them back before both went in with one handed attacks. Akiko stopped Kasairyu's attack by grabbing her right wrist with her left hand and Kasairyu did exactly the same to stop Akiko's swing. As they grappled a spit of lava shot up out of the river to Akiko's right and Kasairyu's left. They let each other go and locked their blades once more, looking each other in the eyes as they thrusted their open left hands towards each other during the blade lock: Akiko going in with a ki blast and Kasairyu countering with a fireball. The two forces met and Akiko and Kasairyu struggled against one another not just in a blade lock but with a blast lock as well. The clash resulted in both Kasairyu and Akiko being flung back from each other, Akiko tumbling along the ground and then jumping back onto her feet as Kasairyu crashed into a rock and became stuck in its side. Akiko rushed forward and elbowed Kasairyu in the chest, smashing her through the rock and sending both of them flying off of the side of the cliff.

"Ahh, crap..." Akiko muttered under her breath.

"Grrgh!" Kasairyu delivered a right hook to Akiko's face as they fell. Akiko struck back with a left hook. Akiko kneed Kasairyu in the gut and Kasairyu headbutted Akiko in return. Kasairyu blocked a right hook from Akiko and hit her with a straight punch to the face only for Akiko to elbow her across the left cheek before delivering another knee to the gut. Kasairyu retaliated with a knee to Akiko's gut and then repeated punches to the face before Akiko and Kasairyu both crashed into the ground below and created a small crater around them upon impact. As the dust settled and smoke began to clear Akiko stumbled onto her feet. "COME HERE!" One of Kasairyu's spear-kunai yanked her out of the crater and into the open, Akiko tumbling along the ground as Kasairyu dismissed her spear-kunai and cracked her neck from side to side. Akiko pushed herself back up onto her feet and wiped away the blood from her lip. Kasairyu was now engulfed in an aura of hellfire and her jet black hair had turned the color of fire as her orange eyes glowed with power, her body cloaked in flame and utter contempt in her gaze.

"Alright..." Akiko clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "Let's finish this." A wild crimson aura flared up around Akiko and she gained a red highlight in her hair over her left eye. Akiko opened her eyes and revealed that her pupils had turned blood red. Akiko sent her katana away, banishing it to hammerspace with her wakizashis as she held her left arm out to the side. Her family's sword appeared with a flash of light in the grasp of her left hand, the ancient blade having been given to Akiko by her father for her journey into the Underworld. It was a Murumasa blade, one of the finest katana makes her world knew, and this one could be traced all the way back to the Edo period. The blade was held within a black saya (scabbard) with the red sageo (cord) tied around said scabbard. The tsuka (handle) was wrapped in worn black leather with the circular tsuba (guard) plated in gold. Akiko brought her left arm back to her side and moved her left foot behind her right as she prepared herself. Kasairyu cracked her knuckles and remained silent. Akiko wrapped her right hand around the hilt of the sword and narrowed her eyes. Kasairyu got ready to fight, adopting a less casual stance. For a brief moment Kasairyu swore she saw a woman standing behind Akiko. A woman with one eye and a cross shaped scar upon her left cheek. But this shadow of the past disappeared as quickly as it came, returning to the Murumasa sword. For the split-second the spirit stood wigh her, Akiko felt at peace, but when the spirit departed the rage from Orochi's corruption returned to her and Akiko tightened her grip on the bloodthirsty katana in her grasp. Kasairyu drew her sword from its scabbard and twirled it around in her right hand before adopting a battle-ready stance.

"This ends now." Kasairyu scowled, wreathed in her own hellfire. Akiko nodded, enveloped in blood-red energy.

"Let's go." Akiko dashed forward, leaving behind an afterimage where she once stood. At the same time Kasairyu dashed forward, leaving in her wake a blazing trail. All around the area, Akiko and Kasairyu appeared and disappeared, clashing in the split-second they were both visible before teleporting to another location and clashing there as well: Kasairyu swinging her katana at Akiko and each time Akiko drawing her blade to meet Kasairyu head-on, returning it to its scabbard immediately after as they set off. They were perfectly matched in speed and Kasairyu now only held a slight advantage in strength and stamina, even with her transformation. This would be a battle of will and spirit now. Kasairyu swung wildly trying to wear Akiko down but with her use of Iaido Akiko was able to form an almost perfect defence against the revenant and keep Kasairyu at bay, giving time for Akiko to look for openings. Kasairyu teleported behind Akiko but her blade was met by the scabbard in Akiko's left hand anf Kasairyu was then forced to jump back as Akiko spun around to deliver a quick slice which Kasairyu barely avoided. Kasairyu was surprised Akiko was doing so well against her even in her current state, even more so that Akiko was using a style which she hadn't perfected. As they clashed again besides a rock, the shockwave sent out by the meeting of their blaeds then causing said rock to crumble to pieces, Kasairyu looked into Akiko's eyes again. This time she looked deep, beyond Akiko's rage from Orochi and beyond the willpower her friends and family gave her. They disappeared from sight again before clashing in the centre. Kasairyu kept looking deeper into Akiko's eyes and it was then she saw it. Akiko really did understand the pain of loss, maybe not as much as Kasairyu did but it was still there. They weren't so different afterall. Kasairyu and Akiko then repeatedly swung their swords at each other before jumping back from one another, Akiko launching a red sword beam and Kasairyu launching a yellow sword beam back. The two beams clashed and Akiko returned her sword to its sheath before dashing into the smoke and redrawing it as she burst out of the other side. Kasairyu leapt back and sent a barrage of fireballs at Akiko to keep her back. Kasairyu saw it now, deep down Akiko fought with the same pain she did, but yet Akiko still had more to push her forward. Kasairyu narrowed her eyes znd rushed forward as Akiko dodged around each fireball sent her way before leaping over the last fireball and drawing her Murumasa katana mid-flip. Kasairyu only barely blocked Akiko's quick-draw strike and the strength of Akiko's strike made her skid backwards afterwards. Kasairyu sent one of her spear-kunais at Akiko but Akiko batted it away with her sword's scabbard and then teleported straight in front of Kasairyu and blocked Kasairyu's sword with her own. The ground cracked up around them as the two shinobi struggled.

"Huh..." Kasairyu mumbled, forcing Akiko back before spinning forward and forcing Akiko to backflip to safety.

"Do you see it now?" Akiko asked repeatedly sheathing and redrawing her blade and sending crimson sword beam after crimson sword beam to Kasairyu. Kasairyu effortlessly dodged around each and every one and then cut through the last one before reappearing besides Akiko and slicing through the kunoichi's side. Akiko stabbed Kasairyu in the stomach in retaliation and the two spun back around to face one another. "Good, then you understand." Akiko pulled her sword out of Kasairyu and sliced at her as Kasairyu delivered a strike to her left arm. The two spun around and their blades clashed once again on their return swings but then they successfully stabbed each other in the gut. "I'm not here for fortune and fame!" Akiko and Kasairyu delivered a right hook to each other's left cheeks. "I'll fight knowing nobody knows my name!" The two began to pummel one another with a flurry of rapid punches. "I'll fight until I taste the dirt and take my last breath!" Akiko and Kasairyu pulled their swords out of one another and skidded backwards, both taking deep breaths immediately afterwards. "I'm going to fight and die so nobody else knows the pain I do, the pain you do!" Akiko returned her sword to its scabbard and awaited Kasairyu's next attack. Kasairyu wiped the blood from her lip and narrowed her eyes.

"Noble... but so naive." Kasairyu sighed, sheathing her sword. Akiko raised a brow. "Hrrarrgh!" Kasairyu leapt high up into the air and hung there as she pulled her arms to her side before thrusting both arms forward and turning her open palms 90 degrees in opposite directions. A ball of yellow ki appeared inbetween her palms and then set ablaze: the energy sphere engulfed in hellfire. "Gōka bakufū!" Kasairyu exclaimed, lifting both arms above her head and charging up her attack.

"Huh!?" Akiko quickly holstered her Murumasa blade at her side. "Hadō..." Akiko cupped both hands by her right side, charging up a blue sphere of energy with cyan sparks zapping around it. "Burasutā!" Akiko thrusted both of her arms forward and sent out her sparking blue ki beam straight to Kasairyu.

"Kasai!" Kasairyu thrusted both of her arms downwards: sending out her flaming ki beam to meet Akiko's hadō-burasutā head on. The two beams clashed in mid-air, midway between both female ninjas. "Grr..." Kasairyu knew this would be an intense struggle, feeling the knockback of the initial collision. "Hah!" Kasairyu pushed down, sending more energy into her gōka bakufū. Akiko felt that one, the crater she stood in getting slightly deeper as she was pushed down.

"Grrgh..." Akiko grunted. "Come on... come on..." She summoned more of her energy.

"End of the line!" Kasairyu exclaimed, pushing Akiko's beam back down.

"No... Urrghhh... If I fail here... what good was this all in the first place?" Akiko grated her teeth.

"Give up and accept your fate!" Kasairyu shouted down to Akiko.

"No!" Akiko was defiant to the end. "You never, why should I?!" Akiko's response caught Kasairyu off guard. "I'll go all-in! Haaahhh!" Akiko thrusted her arms up once more and put all of her strength into her attack, into one final push.

"What?!" Kasairyu's eyes widened as Akiko's beam overpowered hers and in the blink of an eye was now racing towards her. "Ahhh!" Boom!

"Heh..." Akiko's legs trembled. "Heh, heh..." She lowered her arms and her crimson aura faded, her eyes returning to normal and the highlight in her hair disappearing. "I... I did it..." Akiko took a deep breath as Kasairyu fell out of the smoke and crashed into the ground a good distance in front of the white-clad shinobi. "Huh?" Akiko reassumed her fighting stance as the debris began to shift.

"Arrrgggghhhh!" A torrent of flames erupted out of the crater and Kasairyu flew out of the destruction with the last of her strength pushing her own. "I won't give in!" Kasairyu flew st Akiko with her left fist engulfed in flames. Akiko narrowed her eyes and wrapped her right hznd around the hilt of her sheathed blade. "Never!" Kasairyu pulled her left arm back, only rage fueling her now. A burst of lava erupted out of the ground in front of Akiko and just as it cleared Kasairyu reached her. Sniiikt! Kasairyu flew past Akiko. "Gaaarrgghhh!" Kasairyu's left arm flew off, blood spraying everywhere, and the shinobi tumbled forward along the ground. Akiko had used a quick-draw and the lava burst to catch Kasairyu completely off guard. Akiko flung the blood from her family blade and resheathed the katana with a heavy sigh. Kasairyu had already stumbled back onto her feet. Akiko turned around to face her. "Y... you..." Kasairyu struggled to keep herself on her feet.

"You've used up too much of your energy... rest. Before you destroy yourself." Akiko spoke calmly to Kasairyu.

"I..." Kasairyu stumbled forward.

"Please. Rest." Akiko continued. Kasairyu stumbled into Akiko's arms, Akiko held her up and stopped her from collapsing. They said nothing. "Rest." Akiko repeated herself. Kasairyu stared blankly off into the distance behind Akiko. This was the first time she'd been embraced since she'd died. "I'm sorry, but I must be the one to finish this."

"End me." Kasairyu muttered, memories of her family running through her mind.

"Kasairyu..." Akiko closed her eyes. "You know I can't... you, you can't rest until you have your revenge. And I can't put you to rest as I am now." Akiko's words were met with silence. The silence said more than words ever could. And the worst part for Kasairyu was, she wanted to cry but she had long forgotten how to. All she knew was rage and sorrow and yet neither could conjure tears from her. Kasairyu's arm began to rematerialise in flame and upon it completely reforming and her dismembered arm burning away, embers began to drift up from Kasairyu. It was time for her to rest before she destroyed herself and doomed herself to oblivion, a fate worse than even now for her. And as Kasairyu burned away, Akiko stayed with her the entire time: embracing her. The last thing Akiko felt was Kasairyu's right hand on her left shoulder, and the last words she heard from Kasairyu before she disappeared greeted her ears.

"Failure isn't an option."

"I know." Akiko nodded.


	45. Day 5: Breakfast

"Hey, look who's emerged from their den." Ravage chuckled, pointing behind him as Impa walked into the living room of the log cabin. Akiko and Hanako looked over to Impa as they sat together on the couch.

"Oh hey Impa." Akiko smiled. "Your breakfast is in the oven, above Seijitsu's." She informed the Oni.

"Thanks." Impa nodded, heading over to the kitchen.

"Oh don't thank me, it was all Hanako." Akiko replied.

"I made sure to add those spices you like as well." Hanako interjected.

"You knew?" Impa looked back over to Hanako. Hanako nodded. "Heh." Impa smiled a little. "Thanks."

"Good night's sleep?" Ravage inquired from his chair as he ate his breakfast.

"Yeah." Impa took her breakfast out of the oven, closing the oven back up afterwards. "I'm actually a little surprised I slept so well, being in such a different... well, environment." Impa walked over to the living room and sat down on another arm chair across from Ravage, Akiko and Hanako to her left. "Then again, I've been pretty good at adapting to different places beforehand."

"Is Seijitsu not up yet?" Akiko asked, finishing off a bowl of ramen.

"I think I heard her tinkering with her machines when I awoke." Impa responded.

"I didn't think she'd brought any..." Akiko replied.

"Oh I hopped back to your universe and brought over some of the stuff she wanted." Ravage cut in. "We also all went and got a couple of spare parts for her to experiment with."

"Where'd you get spare parts around here?" Hanako questioned.

"I've taken to trolling the local terrorist group." Ravage answered. Hanako and Akiko gave him a confused look. "Sometimes I kill some of them, sometimes I destroy their stuff, sometimes I clog their toilets." He added.

"You clogged their toilets?" Impa looked up and over to Ravage.

"Yes, and I took their batteries." Ravage nodded.

"I thought Seijitsu had enough batteries." Impa replied.

"She did." Ravage smirked. "I just took 'em because I could. Anyway, last night me and Impa helped Seijitsu take some of their stolen tech." The kitsune looked back over to Akiko and Hanako.

"Huh, I wonder how she'll use it." Akiko muttered.

"Dunno, she didn't have any plans really." Ravage shrugged. "Could be making a podracer for all I know, or a Gundam."

"That's too obvious." Impa interjected.

"Or a biplane that turns into a mech." Ravage followed up.

"How much did you get her?" Hanako inquired.

"Honestly not that much, I was just exaggerating, she ain't building a huge mech just yet." Ravage laughed.

"She'd sure love to." Akiko chipped in.

"Has she not had the chance at home?" Ravage put his fork in one of the fried eggs on his plate.

"She doesn't really have a good place to keep a mech in the village." Akiko replied. "So she's stuck to smaller projects in the mean time."

"She did have some neat stuff." Ravage commented. "Be interesting to see how she employs some of it."

"Give it time, give it time." Seijitsu smiled as she walked into the room. "Thanks again for the spare parts."

"Anytime." Ravage gave a thumbs up, returning to his food afterwards.

"Breakfast smells lovely." Seijitsu looked around the room.

"Yours is in the oven. Enjoy, it's Hanako's treat." Akiko smiled at her student.

"Ooh, this'll be interesting." Seijitsu dashed off to the kitchen.

"Always so energetic..." Impa muttered.

"Well, that was certainly delicious." Ravage stood up. His plate had been picked clean of the food which was being digested in his stomach. "Great job, Hanako." The kitsune turned and congratulated Hanako.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like my cooking." Hanako smiled and nodded.

"You certainly possess more skills than I originally thought. I think I'll go and have some fun with the Grimm now whilst you girls finish up." Ravage smiled back.

"There seems to be some different ones in the area, so you should find that interesting." Akiko referred to the Grimm that Hanako had slain the night prior.

"Huh... different how so?" Ravage inquired.

"Well, it had some green markings instead of red and what appeared to be green crystals were jutting out of its back." Hanako informed him.

"That does sound unique, unlike every other Grimm I know about around this region. Well, well, well: now I have something interesting to look out for." Ravage smirked. "Thanks for telling me, I'mma going to go hunt one of these green Grimm down... maybe they'll taste better then the others."

"Wait, you've eaten those things?" Akiko's eyes widened.

"Well yeah, I'll eat practically anything." Ravage shrugged. "The Grimm don't taste nice though... but that could just be my cooking... as grandfather likes to remind."

"Where exactly do you draw the line?" Impa inquired.

"Huh? On eating things? Well, anything that I know can hold a conversation really." Ravage turned to the demon and answered her.

"Good to know." Impa responded.

"Most of the time anyway." Ravage followed up. "Don't worry, I'd never eat anything akin to you or a human, that'd just be terrible. I mean, my mom looks human so... yeah."

"Humans taste bad anyway." Impa replied. Akiko and Hanako shot her a wide-eyed look and Seijitsu gasped. "What? I was joking, us Oni aren't that bad. Well, most of us anyway."

"The Ice Oni eat humans?" Ravage questioned.

"No, not that I know of. But they are usually pricks." Impa answered.

"You get a cold reception from them in the past?" Ravage smirked, knowing the two species of Oni always had a rocky relationship. Akiko shuck her head as Hanako rubbed her eyes and groaned.

"I think that physically hurt me..."

"That was bad and you should feel bad." Impa frowned.

"Someday I'll find somebody who appreciates my puns." Ravage sighed.

"I didn't mind it." Seijitsu spoke up.

"Thank you."

'That was utterly atrocious, Ravage.' The kitsune's grandfather communicated with him.

"You stay out of this, I already get enough about my cooking." Ravage responded.

'That's even worse.'

"Urrghhh..." Ravage grated his teeth.

"Is he talking to his grandpa again?" Seijitsu inquired.

"Yep." Akiko nodded.

'Honestly you'd have beaten your mother long ago if you had just used your cooking and puns, she'd surrender in a heartbeat.'

"Ohh, now that's just cruel." Ravage remarked.

'But not untrue.' His grandfather replied. Ravage groaned.

"Right, I'm going hunting..." He sighed.


	46. Day 5: To the Skies

Ravage crashed into the side of a tree, smashing through its trunk and then tumbling backwards along the ground as the shards of wood flew through the air around him. The kitsune came to a stop and laid face-down on the grass as the king taijitu he had stumbled upon slithered towards him. Ravage pushed himself up, revealing his lower jaw was dislocated and a chunk of the tree trunk was in his gut. Ravage snapped his jaw back into place and then ripped the wood from his stomach, letting his wound heal up and clothes repair themselves as he chuckled.

"Caught me off-guard there... nice." Ravage cracked his knuckles. "But you're nothing special, not a spot of green on ya. Oh well, I'll just destroy you quick like the rest." He disappeared from sight and reappeared above the Grimm's left-hand head. The king taijitu looked up just as Ravage went in with a dive-kick, going straight through its head as his right foot caught fire. Ravage came out of the Grimm's left-hand head and ran down its back as it exploded behind him. The right-hand head went to swallow Ravage whole but he jumped out of its way and drew his katana from its scabbard. Ravage dashed past the right-hand head and landed on the ground behind it, immediately resheathing his blade as he landed. The remaining head of the king taijitu then fell apart into multiple chunks, clean slices all over. Ravage stood up as the Grimm fell dead behind him and he ran his right-hand through his head-fur, spiking it back up. "Guess, I'll have to keep looking..." He sighed. Before Ravage could take his next step the ground began to shake and the trees were rustle. "This better not just be a boring earthquake." Ravage looked around as he managed to maintain his footing. He heard the distant sound of engines powering up. "Alright..." Ravage muttered, leaping high up into the air and coming out atop the trees. Ravage dropped back down and grabbed onto the top of the tallest tree in the area. He looked around until he located the direction the chaos was originating from. Some ancient ruins only a short distance away. Ravage scratched his head with his left hand as he held onto the tree with his right. Then it appeared. Rising up out of a huge ravine and up past old towers was a grey military class airship, turrets and all, its engines roaring and wings moving into position as it got higher and higher. Ravage grinned. "Aww yeah! This is happening!" He fist-pumped the air. The kitsune let go of the tree and dropped down to the forest grounds below. Blasting off at supersonic speeds, Ravage ran through the forest so fast he left behind a sonic boom and an afterimage upon setting off. Ravage rushed past tree after tree, hopped over rock after rock and flipped over fallen logs and ran across small rivers. The little demon kept up his incredible speed, blasting past the occasional Grimm but leaving them untouched and confused by the sudden heavy gusts of wind. Ravage burst out of the treeline and reached the ancient ruins just as the airship was ready to blast off. Ravage smirked and leapt forwards, landing on the side of a battered old tower and proceeding to run all the way up it. The airship's engines roared. Ravage landed atop the tower. The airship began to move forwards, almost immediately reaching full-speed and blasting off. The tower Ravage stood upon began to crumble and the kitsune summoned a demonic rune to launch him over to the cliffside across the ravine. "Wahoo!" The airship was seconds away from being unreachable from that position. Ravage shot off, running along the cliffside and picking up his pace. A shockwave blasted out from the airship's engines. "Uh oh..." Ravage moved in the blink of an eye, blasting forwards himself and summoning a set of demonic runes in front of him. Ravage was launched from rune to rune, pinballing him through the air until he reached the last one as the airship was so close. "Here I come." Ravage chuckled, launching himself straight at the airship before it could escape.

* * *

"Incoming, incoming!" The airship's AI announced.

"Huh, what?!" A red eye glowed in the shadows of the command deck.

"Direct hit!" The airship shuck.

"What?!"

* * *

"Heh..." Ravage skidded backwards across the landing strip of the airship, his right hand's claws digging into the metal and slowing him down until tge kitsune came to a complete halt at the front of the flying fortress. "Made it. Well, definitely not those military guys." He cracked his neck from side to side as he stood up, noting some kind of logo on the side of a steel crate off to his left: Merlot Industries.

* * *

"What is that...?" The old man with the glowing crimson, robotic, left eye muttered in awe as he watched video footage of landing upon his airship. "It's... it's... wonderful..." He grinned. "All defences, activate! Security forces, to the landing strip! Capture it!"

* * *

"Huh...?" Ravage tilted his head as the floor opened up in front of him and all of the turrets on the top of the airship turned to him. "This'll be interesting." Ravage smirked as a large group of reprogrammed Atlesian Knight-130s were brought onto the landing strip from the opening, riding up on a lift. "You're just gonna send toys? They're not even the latest model... come on, I sense Grimm here as well..." Ravage snarked. A Spider Droid appeared behind the trooper bots, appearing from another lift. "Well... better. Alright, let's warm-up." Ravage stretched his legs and arms as he spoke. "Been a while since I've fought robots anyway." He grinned, jumping into a battle-ready stance and wrapping his right hand around the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Intruder, identify yourself." The Atlesian Knight-130s took aim at Ravage.

"Humph." Ravage just smirked again. He dashed forward, drawing his blade.


	47. Day 5: Clankers

"Hmm..." Ravage reappeared behind one Atlesian Knight-130 and the droid split in two as Ravage held his sword out to his right. The kitsune smirked. He dodged several shots and sliced apart several more Atlesian Knight-130s, each one falling to his blade as he moved effortlessly between them. Ravage leapt into the air. The droids aiming upwards afterwards as they tried to keep track of the little demon. The sun was behind Ravage and made his front into a silhouette as all the light was behind him, his crimson right pupil glowing with power. Ravage dashed through the air and tore off the head of one Atlesian Knight-130 with his left hand whilst slicing through the chest of another with his katana. He landed and deflected several shots with the tips of his tails before reappearing behind the robot that had fired upon him. "Behind you." He blasted it to pieces with a yellow energy blast from his right palm and stood in place as the smoke cleared, arm still extended. Ravage smirked and fired off several more energy blasts from his right palm. Each blast destroyed another Atlesian Knight-130 as Ravage disappeared from sight again and left behind an afterimage in his wake. He reappeared amongst other Atlesian Knight-130s and used his summoned swords to chop them into pieces as his six spectral blades spun around him. Ravage looked up and saw the Spider Droid had pounced at him, the kitsune backflipping away at the last second. The Spider Droid landed where Ravage stood and was pelted with summoned sword after summoned sword as Ravage backflipped through the air, all six blades imbedded in the mech as Ravage landed back on the ground. The Spider Droid took several swipes at Ravage but he dodged each one before catching the last with his right hand and holding the Spider Droid off as his summoned swords exploded and crippled the mech. "Is that all?" The Spider Droid jumped back and fired off several energy rounds at Ravage but each one was simply backhanded or slapped away. The droid landed and readied a powerful blast as it brought two of its cannons together. Ravage chuckled. He folded his arms and turned his back to the Spider Droid as it charged its attack. "Grandpa." Ravage muttered. The Spider Droid unleashed its attack, a giant blue laser beam sent straight at Ravage. Ravage's grandfather appeared in his fire spirit form, his upper torso and head materialising and rushing out to meet the laser head-on. Ravage's grandfather punched the laser with his right fist before unleashing a rapid flurry of punches with both arms that kept the beam at bay as Ravage stood with his back to it and his arms folded. "Humph, where are those Grimm hiding?" Ravage wondered to himself as his grandfather's punches got faster and faster. He looked over his shoulder. "Damn clanker..." His grandfather delivered one last punch and the Spider Droid's energy beam exploded. Ravage rushed through the smoke and reappeared behind the Spider Droid as several blue slashes appeared around it. A dimensional cut. Ravage resheathed his katana and his grandfather's spirit flew past him as the Spider Droid was sliced apart and then exploded. The remaining Atlesian Knight-130s fired at Ravage but his grandfather punched away each shot with another rapid fist flurry as Ravage ran his right hand through his hair and walked forward. His grandfather faded away and Ravage used a sword beam to destroy one droid before reappearing to the left of another and using a spin-kick to the sude of the head to send it flying into a 3rd robot. Ravage landed back down on the ground and pulled his right arm back, yellow flesh of his demon arm now glowing. Ravage thrusted his arm forward and a giant spectral copy of his demon arm rushed forward and punched several of the remaining Atlesian Knight-130s off of the airship. Ravage turned to face the last few. "Hmm, here we go again with this trick... for fun." They kept their sights on him. Ravage was gone in an instant, no afterimage left behind this time. The 130s looked around and saw they were now surrounded by countless summoned swords from every direction. How had that happened? Ravage clapped his hands together as he was now stood behind the remaining droids and the summoned swords all rushed forward and exploded together upon coming into contact with the last few Atlesian Knight-130s.

'Surprised you didn't say the line like with that Daidouji.' Ravage's grandfather spoke to him.

"Ehh, no real point." Ravage shrugged and smiled. A half destroyed torso of one of the Atlesian Knight-130s landed to the right of Ravage and held out its handless left arm towards him. Ravage stomped on its head. "Where's the Grimm?" He folded his arms and looked around. "Alright..." He looked up to the command deck of the airship. "Time for negotiations. They'll be short." He unfolded his arms, raised his demon arm and pointed it towards the command deck with his hand open and palm ready to unleash an energy blast. "I want..."

'Uhh, Ravage.'

"Huh...?" Ravage looked to his left. There was a turret aimed straight at him. "Wow, forgot about..." Ravage was blasted off of the airship. "Oh for the love of!" Ravage growled as he tumbled through the air, falling and falling down towards the forest below.

'Well, the negotiations were short.' His grandfather snarked.

"I was expecting that." Ravage replied. "Damn, lost another chance to see some new Grimm." He sighed, looking aside.

'You set it up.' His grandpa responded. Ravage recovered as he broke the treeline and managed to save himself from crashing into the ground, using a demonic rune to catch himself. Ravage leapt off of the rune and landed safely on the ground.

"Another happy landing." Ravage smirked.

* * *

"Hey Ravage, you see any of those greenish Grimm out there?" Akiko smiled as Ravage walked up the hill towards the log cabin. Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa were standing with Akiko at the time.

"I got close." Ravage sighed, stopping before them. "But I think I found something interesting regardless." He cheered up. "Could give us all something to do whilst we're here." He grinned.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense." Akiko smirked back. Ravage nodded.


	48. Day 5: The Strongest Women Spar

Akiko tightened her headband as Hanako adjusted her gauntlets and cracked her neck from side to side. The two were stood opposite each other in the middle of the field down the hill upon which Ravage had placed the log cabin. Ravage, Impa and Seijitsu were stood off to the sidelines as Akiko stretched her arms and legs whilst Hanako cracked her knuckles and then started stretching her arms and legs. Akiko and Hanako looked one another in the eyes and grinned.

"I suppose this'll be our only chance to really cut loose around here." Hanako spoke up. "I doubt any of us will run into truly challenging opposition, and even then: Ravage would want the first shot at them."

"She's not wrong." Ravage shrugged, glancing over to Seijitsu before turning back to Akiko and Hanako. "Just be careful will ya? I like this place, it has decent food and nice people."

"Ravage, you know we can control our areas of effect, right?" Akiko smirked and shuck her head.

"Yeah, we are professionals after all." Hanako added.

"I know, just reminding you in case you get to into it... I know I have in the past." Ravage sighed, looking aside.

"Well, let's bust it out then." Hanako clenched her fists. Akiko nodded.

"I love the feeling I always get from this." She commented, clenching her fists. Akiko and Hanako spaced out their feet from one another and held their arms up to their waists as blue auras of ki flared up around them and engulfed the two kunoichi. Their power was rising rapidly already. Their auras turned gold and flared up to become wilder than before, the grass around them waving violently in the resulting winds just like their hair. Akiko and Hanako stared down with grins upon their faces as their power continued to rise higher and higher. Their eyes turned from dark hazel and orange respectively to a deep crimson. The ground started to crack up around them as the clouds above them swirled around. Then Akiko's hair became upturned and spiky, leaving only a trio of locks over her left eye and Hanako's hair had its parted bangs spike up: both womans' hair flashing between their natural jet black and shining gold during the process before beams of light erupted out of the two and engulfed them. Ravage, Impa and Seijitsu looked away briefly before turning back as the beams of light began to fade away and Akiko and Hanako were revealed in their new golden-spiky-hair glory, a blessing from the emperor of dragons and eternal guardian of their world: Ryujin. As the dust settled Hanako flexed her fingers before clenching her fists again and then folding her arms. Akiko cracked her neck from side to side before lowering her arms to her sides.

"Always feels good to just let your full power flow." Hanako muttered.

"Yeah, that feels good too." Akiko responded.

* * *

"That's..." Ozpin slammed his coffee mug down on his desk as his eyes widened. "W-What is that? It's... unreal..."

* * *

"Hmm..." Ravage smirked. "I think everybody who's anybody here can feel their power."

"It's always so intense..." Seijitsu smiled. "I should be scared by even knowing such power exists but it being Akiko and Hanako just makes me feel so secure."

"Heh, I'll be sure to try and not scare you then in the future." Ravage replied.

"Ooh, you're too cute and cuddly for that." Seijitsu laughed.

"I'm worried by the frequency of which I'm getting such comments lately." Ravage sighed.

"That's just Seijitsu being Seijitsu." Impa interjected. "So, are you hoping strong opponents are drawn out by their transformations?" She inquired, looking down at the kitsune.

"Kinda, but they've probably already scared everybody off. Heh, even the worst are fearing their power..." Ravage answered. "From what I can gather at full power both Akiko and Hanako are without equal here, nothing I know of in this universe could hurt them: they're practically invincible. They really are the strongest women in both their worlds and this. Humph, and to think neither have unlocked their true potential yet."

"How powerful do you think they can get?" Impa questioned.

"If I'd have to guess, them being planet-busters right now at full power... heh, well, let's just say that'd be as easy as breathing for them later on." Ravage smiled and answered Impa's inquiry.

"Great, now I'm worried about what we'll be facing in the future..." Impa muttered in response.

"Don't be." Ravage folded his arms. "You and Seijitsu are going to get much stronger as well. And even then, I'll always be ready to step in and help if things go off course. It's what friends do."

* * *

"What... what is that power...? How can... how can any mortal have such power?!" Salem's eyes widened as she resided in her dark domain. "No, no... this isn't... possible..."

* * *

"So..." Akiko smirked. "Shall we go see some sights?"

"Heh, sounds splendid." Hanako smirked back. Akiko and Hanako blasted forward, the ground they stood upon exploding as they launched themselves at one another. In their wake they behind blazing golden trails of their incredible energy and as they clashed in the centre of the field it was if the entire planet shuck momentarily from the womens' power. The entire area around the two cracked up and then exploded around Akiko and Hanako as they grappled in their Super forms. Their golden auras clashed as they twisted and turned around both Akiko and Hanako whilst the two locked hands and tried to overpower each other. Hanako and Akiko then backflipped away from one another before immediately flying back towards each other and both going in with right hooks. Both women's right hooks connected with the other's left cheeks. Akiko followed up with a punch to Hanako's gut whilst Hanako countered with a knee to Akiko's chin. Both reeled back but Hanako recovered first and struck Akiko with a roundhouse to the side of the head that sent her flying into the forest, Hanako blasting off after her.

* * *

Akiko recovered and landed safely on the side of a tree trunk as Hanako came flying at her. Akiko blocked her rival's flying kick with both arms but was still smashed through tree after tree until she grabbed Hanako's left foot and flipped her over herself and slammed Hanako into the ground. Hanako recovered immediately and Akiko barely jumped over her sweep kick in time. Akiko pulled off a backwards handstand as Hanako jumped back onto her feet and then flew forward and hit Hanako with a knee to the face, sending her through a rock and then several trees behind said rock as Akiko flew after her in hot pursuit.

* * *

"Urrgh..." Akiko burst out of the side of a small mountain as Hanako punched her across the face, Hanako having beaten Akiko through said mountain moments earlier. Akiko blasted Hanako in the chest with a ki blast and then flew higher, up into the clouds. Hanako flew after her and the two clashed again. The force of their colliding punches parted the clouds around them. Hanako delivered a swift blow to Akiko's gut and her aura then flared up as she prepared to go all in.

"Prepare yourself!" Hanako warned before rushing forward. Akiko and Hanako threw a series of rapid punches and kicks at one another as they flew wildly around in the sky, their back and forth parting all of the clouds around them as their punches sent out shockwave after shockwave. It ended with Akiko and Hanako's left elbows clashing before Hanako reappeared above Akiko and tried to dive-kick only for Akiko to reappear besides Hanako and use a flying kick to knock her away. Hanako flipped through the air but recovered in time to retaliate with a series of yellow ki blasts that she sent rushing towards Akiko. Akiko kicked and punched away each one before cupping her hands at her side and charging up a hadō-burasutā. Hanako pulled her arms to her side before thrusting both arms forward and turning her open palms 90 degrees in opposite directions. A ball of yellow ki appeared inbetween her palms. Akiko thrusted her arms forward and sent out a blue beam of energy straight to Hanako. Hanako countered with a gōka bakufū, yellow ki beam rushing forward to meet Akiko's attack head-on.

* * *

Akiko and Hanako flew out of the few clouds that remained after their beams collided and exploded together, with Akiko recovering first and blasting back to Hanako to strike her across the face with a left hook that propelled Hanako further back.

"Here!" Akiko followed up with a right hook as she caught up and sent Hanako flying even further back. Akiko then reappeared above Hanako mid-flight and kicked her downwards.

* * *

Hanako stopped herself just in time so as not to crash into the road as she was now in the streets of Vale. Akiko reappeared right in front of Hanako and Hanako barely blocked her knee to the gut before elbowing Akiko in the face as retaliation. Akiko followed that up with a ki blast to Hanako's face that sent her flying down the street. Akiko immediately flew after her.

* * *

"Huh... what is that?" All of Team RWBY muttered to themselves as heard the distant clashes as they walked through a park in the city. Akiko and Hanako appeared above them, both women throwing a series of rapid punches at each other as they appeared and reappeared in multiple spots.

"What?!" Ruby was the first to exclaim the question. "You all see this as well, right?!" Ruby asked the others.

"Yep!" Weiss, Blake and Yang exclaimed in response.

"They're moving so fast..." Blake followed up as Akiko and Hanako leapt back from each other.

"Who are they?!" Weiss questioned. Akiko and Hanako powered up, their golden auras flaring up and making their golden spiky hair wave around with wild winds. Akiko and Hanako clashed again and said clash shuck the entire area, Team RWBY barely keeping themselves standing, and then like that the two were gone, their fight taken elsewhere. Team RWBY looked at one another with confusion and awe.

"Why can't I do that?!" Yang threw her arms up in the air.

* * *

Akiko and Hanako flew besides one another along the highway, effortlessly flying past around and inbetween every vehicle in their way whilst also clashing in the centre at every chance they got. Their last clash ended with Hanako uppercutting Akiko high up into the sky and then reappearing to her left a kicking her in the back of the head to send her flying so far away. Hanako teleported after her.

* * *

Akiko shuck her head as she flew backwards over the ocean, Hanako appearing above her just after and clasping her hands together and then swinging them downwards to smash Akiko into the water. The impact was so great that all of the water in a 50 metre radius around Akiko was dispersed and created an open circle around her all of the way to the sea bed. Hanako reappeared on the sea bed as Akiko recovered and landed safely at the bottom with her. They stared down and grinned until a Grimm sea dragon interrupted the two and burst out of the wall of water around them. With no effort Hanako raised her right arm without even looking aside and blasted it into oblivion with a tiny ki blast from her palm: destroying the Grimm down to its last cell. Akiko flew forward and Hanako blasted off to meet her in the centre of the sea opening. The water began to flood back in just as Hanako and Akiko locked fists, the two ascending higher and higher as they threw punch after punch at each other, the sea opening closing back up as the they flew higher and higher. Akiko reappeared behind Hanako and tried to roundhouse her. Hanako vanished and reappeared in front of Akiko and attempted to blast her. Akiko dodged out of the way and Hanako blocked her right hook. Akiko used an afterimage to evade Hanako's follow-up straight jab aimed at her face and reappeared above Hanako with a hadō-burasutā charged up. Hanako quickly turned around, looked up and narrowly avoided Akiko's blast and then kneed Akiko in the gut: winding her and allowing Hanako to follow-up with a gōka bakufū that sent Akiko tumbling through the air uncontrollably. Hanako then pulled back both of her arms and charged up ki blasts in bogh palms.

"Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya!" Hanako began thrusting her arms back and forth rapidly, sending blast after blast after Akiko. Akiko regained control and brought herself to a stop in time to avoid the first few blasts of the barrage, flying past and around the rest before teleporting straight to Hanako and using a powerful blow to her stomach to wind Hanako.

"Here we go." Akiko grinned, she struck Hanako's chin with a mighty rising uppercut that lifted both women higher and higher. Hanako was completely stunned. Akiko reappeared behind her and launched Hanako even higher with a kick with both feet, following up with the same attack to her front after reappearing again as Hanako got higher up.

* * *

Akiko had kept on pinballing Hanako like this until they broke the atmosphere and Remnant was left behind, below them. Hanako recovered and twirled around to elbow Akiko in the face as Akiko attempted another attack, Hanako following up by grabbing Akiko's head and then repeatedly kneeing her in her face before throwing Akiko away. Akiko flipped backwards but managed to recover rather quickly and wiped the blood from her lip. They were in space now, golden auras burning on around them as they floated above the planet. Their ki provided them the power to allow them to survive in space.

"Heh, nice view as always." Akiko looked down at the planet below.

"Yes." Hanako nodded. "Though it is weird that it's not Earth..."

"Yeah, still it may as well be from what I can tell." Akiko rubbed the back of her head and smiled.

"Humph." Hanako smiled, reassuming a fighting stance. Akiko grinned and reassumed her fighting stance. To Akiko and Hanako their fights were the greatest high. "It is funny we find ourselves in a position like this again though." Hanako recalled her first Super transformation, way back when she was still Kasairyu.

* * *

Akiko and Kasairyu nodded to one another as they stood on the helicopter landing pad of one of the tallest skyscrapers in Tokyo, Seijitsu and Impa with them at the time. The two ninjas looked up towards the bright blue sky. The real Genesis, a scientific monstosity resulting from experiments on Orochi, human and demonic blood, had taken itself up into space: straight for the comet passing by Earth on that year. It intended to bring it crashing down on Tokyo. Akiko swiftly turned into Super Akiko, looking back over to Kasairyu.

"I need your help on this one, Kasairyu." Akiko spoke up. Kasairyu looked back to Akiko. Akiko held out her right hand.

"You should have held back earlier, conserved your energy and not shown off: and you knew you were still weakened from Orochi's corruption." Kasairyu berated Akiko.

"I know, and I'm sorry." Akiko nodded.

"Fool... don't get so cocky next time." Kasairyu grabbed Akiko's right hand with her right hand. She looked away in embarrassment. "Holding hands... urgh... let's get this over with."

"Heheh." Akiko chuckled. She transferred some of her energy to Kasairyu, a golden aura suddenly overtaking her. Kasairyu pulled her hand away from Akiko, she had enough energy to transform. Kasairyu's hair spiked up and flashed between gold and regular jet black before sticking to shining gold. "Your transformation is only temporary, Kasairyu." Akiko explained as Kasairyu's eyes turned crimson. "I don't have enough to spare to make it last any longer than 7 minutes at most."

"7 minutes is all I need. Let's go!" Kasairyu and Akiko blasted off into the sky, reaching the stratosphere within seconds as they flew higher and higher, back to back, leaving two trails of golden energy behind them as they ascended. The comet came into view as they reached space: and so did the horrific creature to it, trying to redirect it towards the Earth. Kasairyu and Akiko nodded once more before blasting off at full speed, hitting the mesosphere.

* * *

"You two still following this?" Ravage asked as he and Seijitsu and Impa stood together with their eyes closed, Seijitsu's left hand on Ravage's right shoulder and Impa's right hand on his left.

"Barely, but I think their massive energy signatures are enough for me to keep up." Impa answered.

"I'm not having much issue." Seijitsu followed up.

* * *

Akiko and Hanako flew around the shattered moon of Remnant, blazing trails left behind them as they traded blows inbetween the broken chunks of the moon. Hanako managed to land an elbow strike onto Akiko's face and went to follow-up with a backhand only for Akiko to retaliate with a karate chop to Hanako's throat. Hanako jolted back and coughed violently and Akiko took the opportunity to grab Hanako's left leg and slam her down into one small piece of the shattered moon, a chunk only as big as a small field. As Hanako was stuck in the moon chunk Akiko landed blow after blow on her body, using a furious flurry of rapid punches to batter Hanako deeper into the moon chunk.

"Hrrgh..." Hanako grated her teeth. "Arrrggghhh!" She powered up and her aura sent Akiko flying back with the resulting shockwave it created and then it busted the moon chunk Hanako had been battered into to pieces, Hanako blasting after Akiko immediately after and sending her flying through another moon chunk with a right hook, Hanako disappearing immediately afterwards with the use of her extreme speed. Akiko recovered and shuck her head as Hanako reappeared behind her and got her in a full nelson.

"This old trick, hey?" Akiko chuckled. She flipped Hanako over herself before Hanako could start tightening her holdand then teleported out of her grasp to deliver a dive kick to Hanako's back that sent her flying through some more space debris, smashing through chunk after chunk. Hanako recovered before smashing through one last chunk but Akiko reappeared above her and blasted her with a hadō-burasutā, sending Hanako through a different piece of the moon regardless. "Heh..." Hanako reappeared behind Akiko and hit her with a kick to the back of the head. "Gah!" Hanako flew after Akiko, intending to hit her again: following her back to Remnant.

* * *

Akiko managed to stop herself just in time to not crash into the ground of a canyon area and backflipped just as Hanako reappeared above and came in with a dive kick. Akiko countered back with a drop kick to Hanako's face that sent her flying, Akiko flying straight after Hanako and keeping up alongside her stunned rival before she grabbed her face and slammed her into the ground, dragging Hanako along until Hanako grabbed Akiko's face and flipped their positions around. Hanako proceeded to smash Akiko through a plateau until they burst out of its other side before unleashing a ki blast on her face that sent Akiko tumbling along the ground. Hanako landed back on the ground as Akiko jumped back onto her feet and skidded backwards to a halt.

"Arrrgghhh!" Hanako powered up briefly before sprinting forwards.

"Arrrgghhh!" Akiko powered up as well and rushed to clash with Hanako. They leapt up and struck each other across the face with right hooks before both jumped back and then flew forward to clash with their left elbows: the collision creating a crater around them. Hanako dodged Akiko's follow-up right hook and Akiko jumped over Hanako's counter kick to then blast Hanako in the back and launch her forwards.

* * *

"They just keep going." Impa commented. "Akiko said their little warm up would only take around 5 minutes."

"Of course she did. Wait, you bought that?" Ravage replied.

"She's out of the loop." Seijitsu sighed.

"Out of the loop...?" Impa muttered.

"Ah well, at least this is a good fight." Ravage smiled.

"So, can we like get a better signal or something by adjusting your hair?" Seijitsu inquired.

"No, why would you think that?" Ravage responded with utter confusion.

"Your grandpa once said he could get Youtube in there. Remember?" Seijitsu informed.

"What's a Youtube again?" Ravage asked. "He was obviously joking."

'You don't know that.'

"Yes I do." Ravage retorted.

'I can play minesweeper in here as well.'

"Wait, what?" Ravage's right eye opened.

'We can play two player if you want.'

"How do you play two player minesweeper? It's a one player game." Ravage questioned his grandpa.

'Well it's simple really...'

"Ravage, I can't see the fight." Seijitsu spoke up.

"Oh, sorry." Ravage closed his right eye again. "You can't actually play minesweeper in my head or anything, can you...?"

'No... no...' His grandpa sighed.

* * *

Akiko smashed through a glacier as Hanako flung ki blast after ki blast after her, hitting her with a volley of yellow blasts as she broke the glacier in half. Akiko flew back out of the smoke and hit Hanako down with both hands after reappearing behind her. Akiko then flung ki blast after ki blast after Hanako but Hanako blasted off and avoided each one as she flew over the cold waters before flying upwards and charging up a gōka bakufū as she turned back around. Akiko narrowly dodged the attack, which went on to destroy a glacier behind Akiko as Akiko flew forward and rammed her head into Hanako's gut, cutting off her wind. Akiko then unleashed a hurricane kick upon Hanako, striking her repeatedly with a series of spinning kicks before blasting her far away with a hadō-burasutā, Akiko blasting off after her immediately afterwards.

* * *

"Hey, that mountain looks familiar..." Ravage muttered.

"You sure...?" Impa asked.

"Hyaargh!" Hanako kneed Akiko in the face before kicking her downwards as they reappeared in the skies above. Ravage, Seijitsu and Impa opened their eyes as Akiko crashed into the ground in front of them and Hanako flew down after her. Akiko kicked Hanako out of the crater and teleported behind her to karate chop her in the back of the neck. Hanako retaliated with an elbow to Akiko's face and Akiko immediately responded wigh a ki blast to Hanako's side: both women sent flying back from one another. Hanako and Akiko then flew straight back at each other and uppercutted one another before clashing with their left and right legs respectively as both went in with kicks. Akiko was the first to backflip away, followed by Hanako and the two landed back on the ground below. Both women were starting to tire now.

"Heh... heheh..." Akiko chuckled as she eased up. Hanako wiped the blood from her lip and chuckled back. "As good as ever." Akiko and Hanako's auras calmed.

"Yeah. Good way to work off breakfast." Hanako grinned. Both Akiko and Hanako powered down, their golden auras disappearing and their hair and eyes returning to normal as they exited their Super forms. "You've grown stronger."

"As have you." Akiko smiled.

"Well, I do have to keep up." Hanako cracked her neck from side to side. "I'll be sure to beat you next time though."

"I'll hold you to that." Akiko nodded.


	49. Night 5: Distant Lights

"Well, that was uneventful..." Ravage sighed as he walked back into the log cabin with Akiko, Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa behind the little kitsune. It was the dead of night and the group had spent the day out hoping to stumble upon either something that would lead them to the airship Ravage had encountered that morning or more of the special Grimm Hanako had slain the night prior, or even something else entirely. But all that had encountered was regular Grimm and all they got to see was a couple of new sights. Not bad but not what they had been specifically looking for.

"Guess they cleared out of the region." Akiko shrugged.

"Or they were all taken by someone, most definitely by those on that airship Ravage mentioned." Seijitsu suggested.

"Ah well, we had good weather and got to see a few sights, not too bad." Ravage threw his jacket over one of the arm chairs and proceeded to sit down upon it as Impa closed the front door.

"I'm gonna get a drink." Seijitsu smiled and walked over to the kitchen. Hanako and Akiko took off their weapons and laid them down on the table in front of the couch as Impa rested her broadsword up against the wall and went to hang her shroud up on a coat hanger.

"I'll get the place cozy." Hanako used her hellfire to set the logs in the fireplace ablaze before sitting down next to Akiko on the couch and resting up. "Lovely." She smiled briefly.

"So, what's everybody feeling for dinner?" Ravage looked around after taking off his shoes and putting his feet up on the table.

"Good question." Akiko rubbed her chin before sitting back and putting her arms behind her head. Impa took a seat in the arm chair opposite Ravage and took off her fingerless gloves before sitting back.

"I'm not particularly bothered, I'll take anything." She spoke up.

"Hmm... take out anyone?" Hanako looked around and asked.

"That sounds nice." Seijitsu spoke from the kitchen as she pulled a can of cola out of the fridge.

"I can second that." Ravage chuckled.

"I got no problems with take out." Impa nodded.

"Alright then." Akiko nodded to Hanako. "Well, I'll go get it." She smiled and stood up.

"Really? Well, here's the cash then." Ravage pulled a large sum of lien out of his red pouch.

"You want me to buy an entire store's worth?" Akiko smirked.

"I wouldn't object to it." Ravage shrugged after Akiko took the cash.

"Heheh, I'll see what I can do." Akiko disappeared in an instant via teleportation. A second past and then she immediately reappeared in the same spot. "Wait, what does everyone want?"

"Anything." The others answered.

"Got'cha." Akiko nodded and put her right index and middle finger on her forehead before disappearing again.

"Not sure if that was sad or amusing." Hanako muttered, chuckling a little afterwards as she tapped her forehead.

"Ehh, only some fun." Ravage shrugged and sat back again.

* * *

Akiko appeared atop the roof of a takeaway in the middle of the city of the vale and flipped over into the alleyway to her left and upon landing on the ground strolled out of the shadows, and saw the city was alive with people and cars passing on by. Akiko smiled and turned to her right, walking forwards a little before turning to enter the takeaway and get everyone's meals.

* * *

Later that night as everyone else was fast asleep, the empty packaging of their meals strewn about on the kitchen side, Impa treaded carefully through the living room and grabbed her huge blade and tattered shroud: closing the door on her way out. Out into the dark, into the cold winds, the stars above twinkling as Impa walked alone. She didn't know where she was going, she just walked and walked, she had chosen to go occupy her mind instead of having it wander whilst she lay in bed. Maybe she could do some good whilst she was out. Impa continued to walk, pressing on through the forest until she came to the edge of a cliff and saw the shining lights of the city of Vale in the distance. Impa stood alone, her blood red shroud flowing in the wind as her broadsword rested on her back. The dazzling distant lights reflected in the Oni's eyes. It was a wild new world, stranger sights surrounded her, but the same lights that always were so distant were here as well. But maybe they didn't have to be so distant. Impa turned away and sighed, turning to face the Grimm that had gathered to see who the demon was. Impa did not ready her weapon, she just walked forward with her power on display: her body wreathed in flame and her crimson eyes glowing brighter than the stars that hung above. The Grimm did not move, they did not attack. Impa's flames subsided and her eyes' glow faded, but her boots kept hitting the ground. It was time to do some good. Her right hand grasped the hilt of her broadsword, and the beowolves stepped back. Impa advanced. The Grimm gathered their courage and rushed forward at last. Black beasts poured forth from the forest, their soulless blood red eyes leaving trails in the dark as their teeth were beared and their claws were readied. Impa narrowed her eyes, her spiky red hair waving in the icy breeze with her shroud. The beowolves lunged at her, the pack surrounding her from left to right. With a single swing five of the Grimm were cut clean in half by the demon's huge blade. Impa held her weapon out to the side, having passed it to her left hand mid-swing as the dead Grimm crashed down in front of her and she rose back up with her shroud flowing behind her. Several more Grimm leapt at her. The Fire Oni took hold of her weapon with both hands and dashed forward, her teeth beared and the moonlight reflecting off of the spikes jutting from her shoulders and elbows.

* * *

Impa walked through the streets of Vale, occasionally making quick glances left and right. The streets were mostly empty now, though the odd car drove on past now and again. As Impa continued on and she turned around the next corner, several cop cars speeded on past her and her attention was caught by the blasting noise and the flashing red and blue of their sirens. Impa stopped dead in her tracks and watched them speed away. Seemed like something serious was going on.

* * *

"Aww crap..." One rookie White Fang member bitterly remarked as more cop cars showed up outside the building. "Why does everything keep on going wrong for us these days?"

"I told you, we shouldn't have chosen a place that had already been hit, of course they'd add extra security precautions." Another new recruit shouted from across the room.

"I'm not the one who let him sound the alarm. Take the old man to the back, somebody set up some defences... should've took the out of city work..."

* * *

"Everybody, get back! We have this under contr..." A warning shot from the White Fang broke a part of one of the front windows of From Dust Till Dawn and cut the policeman off, scaring the gathered crowd of onlookers and disturbed local residents. Impa pushed her way through the crowd and saw the stand-off. "Uhh... Ma'am..." The cut-off cop rose back up from his crouched position. "Please get back. Wait..." He noticed her weapon but Impa had already begun walking past him. "Wait!"

* * *

"What... is that a Huntress? Oh for..." A White Fang member shuck his head. "Get something big." He turned his head around.

* * *

"What are you doing?!" The cop exclaimed as Impa walked out into the open.

"Mommy, who is that?" A little girl in her pyjamas asked her mother from the crowd.

"I don't know... I think she's a Faunus." The girl's mother replied, holding her child closer.

"Humph." Impa stopped a few feet in front of the barricade of cop cars. Both the White Fang and police stared at the mysterious women in confusion. Impa saw the White Fang quickly set up a machinegun turret. Her eyes narrowed.

"Everyone! Get down!" The police and civilians took to cover. Impa put her first foot forward and quickly picked up speed, running forward.

"Shoot her! Shoot her!" One White Fang member screamed out from the store. Impa backhanded away the first bullet before blocking the rest with her the side of her broadsword whilst she advanced. "Shoot her!" Impa pushed on, blocking each shot. "Argh, take this!" A dust crystal was tossed Impa's way and the Oni punched it away, the crystal exploding off to her left. "Keep firing!" Impa ran with her sword out in front of herself, continuing to block each bullet as she charged along. Impa jumped forward and White Fang dived away from the window. Impa landed where the gunner had stood and looked up to see the Faunus in the room taking aim at her. She kicked a table in front of her and it smashed into the two White Fang members in front of her and knocked them out as they crashed back into a shelf. Impa spun around and blocked shots from her left and right, and then as she stopped spinning elbowed one Faunus in the gut and sent him flying across the room before rushing over to the next and punching away a 3rd that had jumped at her with a tonfa and then roundhousing the 2nd into the wall. She spun back around and blocked some more bullets with her blade before running and then sliding forward on her knees and tripping a 4th Faunus up by hitting his legs with the blunt side of her sword: smacking him down into the ground as she launched herself back up onto her feet and then twirled forward and pulled a 5th Faunus' gun from him: breaking it in half against her back with her arms against both ends of the weapon whilst she headbutted the White Fang member and knocked him out cold. The last Faunus ran to take the old man, the owner of the shop, hostage but Impa vaulted over the counter and then moved so fast she disappeared from sight. Impa reappeared inbetween the old man and the White Fang member and the Faunus made a quick u-turn, running to the front of the store. Impa dashed after him and as he turned around to open fire she jumped up and kneed him in the chest: sending them both smashing through the unbroken front window of From Dust Till Dawn, glass shattering everywhere. Impa stood up as silence rushed through the street, the last White Fang member now unconscious beneath her. Impa looked forward and saw the police and people of the city staring at her. The silence was swiftly broken by thunderous applause and cheering. They weren't afraid of her, they were cheering for her. Impa couldn't hold back her smile, she'd waited so long for this.


	50. Night 5: Nightmares

A lone woman walked through fire and flames, surrounded by thick smoke and in the centre of chaos and death, her ferocious eyes black with blood-red pupils that cut through the shadows, her parted hair a deep shade of crimson and her skin a light shade of brown, lighter than Impa. As she stepped out of the flames, the wild grin upon her face revealing one of her fangs, her attire was revealed and her appearance was properly unmasked. She wore a sleeveless dark grey uwagi, with a long-sleeved black jumpsuit with a turtleneck underneath, a red sash around her waist, and grey pants, leaving her feet with silver, armored vagrant's waraji with black decals/trims and red cloth wrapped around the ankles. Emblazened in white on the back of her uwagi was the symbol 影. The woman's eyes stopped glowing and she rose her right arm up and pointed straight at Akiko, who was at the opposite end of the street. Akiko stepped back. The woman had her face, her hairstyle: her entire body. The mysterious doppelganger stopped pointing at Akiko and instead helf her palm out in front: a purple energy sphere immediately appearing afterwards. Akiko braced herself. Without warning the doppelganger aimed past Akiko and sent forth an entire beam of dark ki.

'Will you fight without limitation? Let it go, let it all go, show me your power, reassure me that I am the greatest.' A chuckle rung through Akiko's head.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Akiko looked behind her as a blood chilling cry reached her ears. She saw Seijitsu being vapourised, her student reaching out for her as evil ki tore her apart and reduced her nothing.

'Fight or die like all human weaklings, only the strong may have the honor of this short life. Join me in a glorious battle, it is the only thing worth living for.'

"AAAAARRRGGGHHH...!"

* * *

"Gah..." Akiko jolted up, waking to find herself in her room in Ravage's log cabin. Alone. She was in a set of white pyjamas with her red headband still tied around her head. Akiko darted her eyes around the room. Nothing. The only energy she could sense belonged to Ravage, he was in the kitchen. Everyone, Akiko assumed, was fast asleep. Akiko rubbed her eyes and shuck her head, taking a deep breath. She pulled herself out of bed and put on a pair of slippers, heading for the door.

* * *

Akiko snuck out of her room and down the hallway until she reached Seijitsu's room. Akiko carefully opened the door and peaked in. She was greeted by the sight of Seijitsu sleeping on the floor, wrench in her left hand and goggles on her head, next to a curled up metal thing: Akiko couldn't really tell what it was right now. Akiko let out a sigh and a smile grew on her face. Just nightmares and tricks of the mind, old fears of her days filled with Orochi's corrupting essence popping up is all. Akiko stepped into Seijitsu's room and gently picked her best friend up, carrying her in both arms over to her bed. Akiko smiled again and shuck her head. Seijitsu was 23 now and Akiko was carrying her to bed as if she was still 9. Akiko put Seijitsu into the bed, took her wrench from her and took off her goggles before tucking her in. As peaceful and innocent as ever. Akiko nodded and turned away, happy she'd managed to take Seijitsu through 13 years of training and kept human blood off her hands: though Oni had got awkward ever since Impa joined them 2 years ago. It was almost time for Akiko to pass on the title of master to Seijitsu, let her take on her own student. Akiko stopped at the door and looked back. A year or so more so close together wouldn't hurt though. Akiko closed the door and left Seijitsu to sleep.

* * *

"Hey..." Akiko walked in on Ravage devouring a late night snack.

"Oh, hey." Ravage smiled, swallowing a chunk of chicken. "Bad dreams?"

"I'd be lying if I said otherwise." Akiko sighed.

"I was gonna say, because the beds are fine." Ravage replied. Akiko chuckled.

"Oh definitely."

"You wanna talk about it or...?" Ravage trailed off.

"I don't see the point troubling you with it, besides, I'm pretty sure it's nothing. I've had lots of those kind of nightmares in the past." Akiko shuck her head and rested up against the kitchen sink.

"Hey, nothing is troubling for me, besides as a friend I can't help but ask." Ravage took another bite out of the chicken leg.

"Thanks, I mean that." Akiko nodded. "But it's ok."

"Well regardless, I'll definitely be around to help if whatever you've been dreaming does happen, you can count on that." Ravage gave a thumbs up.

"You're a good person Ravage." Akiko folded her arms and smiled again.

"Hey, I'm eating here." Ravage jested. They chuckled. "Gonna ruin my appetite."

"You know you should get a new 'look' at some point, like you've talked about, find a nice girl."

"You sound like what I fear my mom might sound like one day." Ravage sighed.

"Never had that lecture?" Akiko chuckled to herself. "I might suggest it if I see your mom again."

"You're here to taunt me aren't you?" Ravage asked. "I think this is a nightmare of my own." The kitsune looked aside.

"Heh, beat me in a fight when you do actually and you might just earn a kiss."

"I see I've entered a depth of hell previously uncharted." Ravage snarked. Akiko laughed.

"Wow, you really don't care about that stuff..." She sighed.

"No. No, I don't." Ravage responded.

"Why not? You'd get plenty of food and fights that way." Akiko laughed again.

"Sounds like a lot of extra work though for stuff I can get no effort already." Ravage shrugged.

"Such an innocent and simple mind." Akiko facepalmed and continued to chuckle.

"You scare me sometimes." Ravage couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I was serious about that offer though." Akiko looked up.

"Oh for..." Ravage put the chicken leg down on his plate.

"You're so easy to mess with, it's adorable." Akiko smirked.

"You can be a cruel woman." Ravage sighed. "Did you know Impa's out by the way?"

"Huh?" Akiko raised her left brow. "No, I didn't." The front door opened and in walked Impa, closing the door behind herself before freezing in place upon seeing Akiko and Ravage. Akiko looked back and Ravage looked past her to see the Fire Oni. Silence. Akiko gave her a curious look and Ravage smiled.

"They cheered..." Impa broke the silence, holding back tears. "Regular people... they cheered,"

"Impa..." Akiko smiled, rushing over to the demon. Ravage sat back.

"Gets Akiko off my back..." He picked the chicken leg back up off his plate.


	51. Day 6: Fulfilled Vengeance

Hanako looked out of her bedroom window to the horizon as the sun rose, the first rays of light breaking into the land. The grand master tightened her headband and turned away from the window, picking up her sheathed katana from her bed and holstering it on her back as she headed for the door.

* * *

It was 1 year ago in Hanako's world that she found peace. Inside the grand master temple of Hanako's rebuilt village, a male Fire Oni was dragged before the kunoichi by two yellow-clad ninjas, the battered demon thrown at Hanako's feet, his hands tied behind his back. Hanako's eyes burned with an intense fury. Akiko, Seijitsu and Impa stood off to the side at the time. The Fire Oni at Hanako's feet was none other than Impa's own father, a lord in the Underworld and one of several powerful sorcerers who had banded together to free Orochi which at the time had been 2 years ago. Now he was reduced to a weak, powerless man fully at Hanako's mercy. The Fire Oni looked up into Hanako's furious glare, his spiky crimson hair left unkempt and dirtied from his capture.

"Unbind him." Hanako ordered her shinobi. The chains around the Fire Oni's wrists were removed, the sorcerer freed.

"Kasairyu..." Hanako struck the demon across the face with a left hook, his body crashing to the ground.

"My name is Hanako Hoshimoto!" She picked him up by the collar of his white, tattered robes. "You killed my clan... my family..." Hanako looked him dead in his fiery red eyes. "And then you made me into a puppet, misdirected my anger: burrowed your way into my head!" She headbutted him and broke his nose.

"ARRGGGHHH!"

"You sacrificed their souls to free Orochi! You took away any chance I had at bringing them back!" She headbutted him again, his nose busting open.

"AAAARRGGGHHH! Pl... pl... please..."

"And now you beg for mercy?!" Hanako threw him to the floor. "Quiet..." Hanako growled, kicking him in the gut. "Stand up and fight for your life." She commanded.

"I... Impa..." Impa's father called out to his daughter as she watched his beating. Impa's eyes widened as she stood there with her arms folded. "Impa..."

"Stand." Impa growled back. "Stand and fight like a real Oni. Act like one at least once in your miserable life."

"Impa... please."

"Disgusting... after all you've done, you can't even summon the courage to fight for your own life. Begging for help again. You deserve everything you're going to get." Impa narrowed her eyes.

"I'm your father..."

"You have NEVER been my father! And you have never been a real Oni!" Impa snapped, going to draw her broadsword. "Kill him." She stopped herself, looking to Hanako. Hanako nodded.

"You... you treacherous... little wh..." Hanako kicked Impa's father across the room. Her shinobi cheered, calling for his blood to be spilled.

"I said, stand and fight!" Hanako summoned hellfire in both hands as flames burst from her eyes and her voice momentarily deepened. Impa's father stumbled onto his feet.

"You think... killing me... will make everything better...?" He wiped the blood from his face whilst stumbling towards Hanako.

"You are the architect of all my suffering. Your death will bring me peace, and honor to my family and clan's names!" Hanako rebutted.

"Grrgh... stupid, pathetic... human!" Impa's father rushed forward, summoning all of the power and stamina he had left: a fireball appearing in his right hand as he leapt at the grand master. Hanako teleported straight to him and with one left hook, broke his jaw. "Ga-ARRGGGGHHH!" He crashed down on his back and Hanako stomped on his chest with her right foot: breaking his ribs. "BAAARGGGHHHH!" Blood spewed from the Fire Oni's mouth.

"At last, you will know my wrath, feel my pain..." Hanako kicked him over and then grabbed his hair, proceeding to smash his face repeatedly into the floor. Hanako's clan cheered louder for their grand master. Akiko and Impa looked at Impa's father with scorn but Seijitsu couldn't help but look away from the beating. Hanako lifted Impa's father up above her before bringing him down on her left knee, snapping his spine.

"GAARRRGGGHHH!" He screamed out again. Hanako tossed him aside and cracked her knuckles. "N... n... no... no... mu... muu... must... get..." Impa's father tried to crawl away, attempting to open a portal back to the Underworld as he at last got back up with the aid of his magic to support his broken body. Hanako was now engulfed in hellfire.

"GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!" Hanako threw one of her spear-kunai at him: the blade going straight through his throat. Hanako yanked him back to her as he flailed his arms around whilst choking on his own blood. As Hanako pulled him in he saw Impa look at him with only hatred and disgust from the corner of his eye. He reached out to her as Hanako drew her katana from the scabbard on her back. All Impa's father could hear was the roaring cheers of Hanako's clan, his vision blurred and ever darkening.

"You shame my kind... my real family, is here on Earth... perish." Impa muttered as Hanako swung her blade. Her father's head bounced and rolled across the floor until it stopped at Impa's feet. Impa looked down at the bloodied face, the dead eyes of the Fire Oni she once called father staring up at her. The only real family from the Underworld Impa had was her mother, and she was long gone. Impa stomped down on the head, burying her past beneath her boot. She was Impa of the Underworld no longer.

"Mother... father..." Hanako's hellfire aura faded as she closed her eyes. "It is over..." She flung the blood from her blade and resheathed it. "It is finally over..." Tears began to run down her cheeks. She didn't care. She let them come. "It's over. My vengeance... is finally over..." Hanako felt a hand on her left shoulder. It was Akiko's. Seijitsu and Impa stood with her.

"You honor them all. Your family, your clan." Akiko smiled. "Now, look to the future. To your new clan." Hanako looked around as all of the shinobi under her command bowed before her. "These must be who drive you now."

"Thank you... Akiko... Seijitsu... and you too, Impa." Hanako wiped away her tears.

"We will be here, always." Impa shuck hands with Hanako.

"I am sorry, Impa..." Hanako replied.

"Don't be, he had everything coming. He was never my father, let alone a true Oni." Impa cut Hanako off, reassuring her. "You, and everyone else, are my family now."

"Then I am proud to be so." Hanako nodded and smiled.

* * *

Hanako walked into the living room to see everyone but Seijitsu sat around having breakfast. Ravage, Akiko and Impa all chowing down. Hanako smiled.


	52. Day 6: Mad Cyborg Scientist Problem

Akiko; Seijitsu, Hanako, Impa and Ravage walked up the main avenue to Beacon Academy, much to the surprise of more than a few students. The shinobi and Fire Oni looked at Ravage as more than a few of the female students cheered and gave 'aws' at the sight of him. Ravage sighed before chuckling and shaking his head.

"Humph, teens. Need some discipline." Hanako muttered.

"I take it you've been here." Akiko smiled at the kitsune as they walked along.

"I may have engaged in a few show fights." Ravage smirked back.

"You've gathered quite the fanbase." Hanako mused.

"I really showed off." Ravage chuckled again. "Had a nice 4 versus 1 bout, along with some good single matches beforehand."

"Humans are strange..." Impa noted one student holding up a crudely made plush of Ravage.

"They're called teen girls." Hanako remarked.

"I dread to imagine your teenage years." Impa responded. Akiko, Seijitsu and Ravage snickered.

"I bet she was a real delinquent." Ravage grinned. Hanako frowned.

"I was strictly professional throughout." Hanako informed.

"That must've been boring." Akiko rolled her eyes. "Good thing we've been rubbing off on yah."

"I like to think I've kept my maturity. It balances out your childish nature." Hanako smirked.

"I'm not childish." Akiko retorted.

"You still dress up for Halloween..." Hanako rebutted.

"It's called having fun... and he's my childhood hero." Akiko defended.

"That's your excuse for everything." Hanako sighed.

"Didn't I walk in on you placing bets on a round of video games?" Ravage looked over to Hanako.

"It's called downtime." Hanako responded.

"That's your excuse for everything." Akiko grinned.

* * *

The elevator doors opened and Ravage stepped out into Ozpin's office with Akiko, Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa alongside him. Ozpin spun around in his chair to face the group, standing up to greet them.

"Professor." Ravage nodded.

"Ah, Ravage. Glynda told me you were on your way up to see me." Ozpin smiled. "I see you've brought some friends along. I'm Professor Ozpin, head of this academy: it's a pleasure to meet you all."

"The honor is ours, Professor." Hanako took a half bow.

"Yeah, nice place you got here." Akiko nodded.

"Why thank you, we all try our best to keep this academy running smoothly." Ozpin nodded back. "So, is there something you wish to know, Ravage?" Ozpin spoke to the kitsune, sitting back down.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you knew anything about Grimm with green crystals jutting out of them. Are they some kind of regional thing or something?" Ravage inquired.

"Green crystals?" Ozpin raised a brow.

"That's right, the usual red markings are all green on them as well." Ravage added.

"Have you been encountering many?" Ozpin asked.

"I wish." Ravage sighed. "Akiko and Hanako here met one the other night but none of us have been able to find any more since. I suspect more were on that airship..."

"Airship?" Ozpin questioned.

"Ravage went looking for more yesterday and he stumbled upon an airship filled with hostile robots." Akiko interjected.

"He also forgot to bring me back one of them bots to experiment with." Seijitsu followed up.

"Sorry Seijitsu, it didn't cross my mind at the time." Ravage looked back to Seijitsu and shrugged.

"It's okay..." Seijitsu sighed.

"This is all deeply troubling news..." Ozpin sat back in his chair. "I admit, I had hoped Merlot perished in the explosion that destroyed his facility and ruined his island. But it was foolish of me to think he would go down that easily."

"Merlot?" Ravage inquired.

"Dr Merlot is... an old acquaintance. He is responsible for the ruin of Mount Glenn and the deaths of countless innocents. His experiments on Grimm have been the cause of so much pain and suffering." Ozpin answered Ravage's inquiry.

"So we've got a mad scientist with potentially an army of robots and biological terrors hiding out in the wild?" Akiko folded her arms.

"Unfortunately, it indeed seems that way. He himself may have even gained more mechanical enhancements than last I saw, if he didn't get off the island unscathed." Ozpin responded.

"And he's also a cyborg." Akiko added. "So if he sets those things free..."

"No..." Hanako muttered under her breath.

"It could be the end of everyone." Akiko finished.

"Oh for the love of Ryujin." Hanako frowned.

"If the worst comes to pass, we never did find out about everything he had. Doubly so now I know he's still out there." Ozpin nodded solemnly.

"Right, well we'll get right on that." Akiko smiled.

"What?" Ozpin raised a brow.

"We'll go sort Merlot out." Akiko clarified.

"You're... awfully non-chalent about all this." Ozpin commented.

"Where these lot are from, this threat level would be filler." Ravage smirked. "Hell, Impa alone could handle this."

"Gladly as well." Impa spoke up.

"You don't want him alive do you?" Hanako questioned.

"Well, it would be preferable so he can face proper justice... are you all sure about this?" Ozpin was still bewildered by their bluntness.

"I've been looking for something like this since I got here." Ravage replied.

"Always wanted to take on a mad cyborg scientist anyway, hopefully he has a really cool biological terror to fight as well." Akiko chuckled.

"Haven't we already technically done that?" Impa interjected.

"Yeah but none of the scientists were cyborgs... I think... plus the real Genesis ended up being rather lackluster for my tastes." Akiko admitted, shrugging.

"Well..." Ozpin stood up. "If you're coming to our aid so selflessly and rather quickly I might add, allow me to tell you everything that might help you." Ravage and the others nodded.


	53. Day 6: Merlot's Island

"Right, well, we've got a target for the next few days." Hanako spoke as she stepped out of the elevator with everyone else.

"So are we bringing him in, or just his head?" Impa inquired.

"The Professor said he'd prefer alive, so we're going to try for alive." Akiko responded.

"Exactly. Provided none of us get ticked off." Ravage took Akiko's side.

"Very well then." Impa nodded.

"Alright, but if an innocent gets hurt..." Hanako nodded with Impa.

"Then you're free to pull out that blade." Akiko replied. "If I don't beat you to it."

"Well, that's all settled then." Ravage smiled. "Let's go check out that island of his then, well, what's left of it. See what we can find. I doubt we'll find anything, but there's nothing to lose by checking it out." He added.

"Let's go get a ride on one of those VTOLs then." Hanako suggested.

"I have wanted to get a closer look at one of those things." Seijitsu smiled.

* * *

Ravage dropped out of the bullhead, followed by Akiko, Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa dropping out and landing alongside him. Ravage looked up and gave a thumbs up to the pilot of the bullhead, who nodded and then flew their aircraft off into the distance. The group had been dropped off on one of the beaches of the island. They looked around and observed their surroundings.

"Huh, shame we don't have time to get a tan." Akiko chuckled.

"That ruined facility can't be far." Ravage commented. "Let's get the treasure hunt over with." He leapt up into the air, launching himself up onto the cliff side.

"Dibs on the machinery!" Seijitsu leapt after Ravage, followed by Akiko, Hanako and Impa.

* * *

"This guy needs a maid." Akiko chuckled as she kicked a dented, no longer functional sliding metal door in: sending both halves flying across the room.

"Hey, save the unnecessary property destruction for later, could've hit something important..." Hanako berated Akiko as the group walked into the room Akiko had opened up. Then the sound of glass being smashed immediately caught her attention. Ravage had punched in a capsule and was now drinking some of the green liquid it had contained: Merlot's Grimm mutation serum. Ravage almost immediately spat it back out and threw the rest of the liquid in his left hand away. Hanako narrowed her eyes.

"That is horrible... why can't they ever make super serums taste good?" Ravage bitterly remarked.

"You really gotta stop drinking strange science stuff..." Akiko muttered.

"Ehh, worst that happens is I get a bad taste in my mouth for a while." Ravage shrugged. "Though if I could be affected, I'd probably go see if those green crystals I'd get would scare a Superman."

"Thought you didn't pick on the weak?" Akiko smirked.

"I don't, I just occasionally get in the mood to mess with others." Ravage smirked back.

"Definitive proof you're a kitsune." Akiko chuckled again.

"Well, I'm gonna check around for vending machines." Ravage informed, turning to leave for the hallway.

"Why the hell do you think there's going to be a vending machine here, let alone one still useable?" Hanako gave Ravage a confused look.

"You'd be amazed what you can find in places like this sometimes." Ravage replied. "Besides, the machine doesn't have to be intact, I was going to break it open anyway."

"The food is most likely bad by now if it is there." Akiko responded. Ravage stopped in place.

"Hmm... I'll take my chances." Ravage shrugged and continued on.

"Alright then." Akiko nodded. "Hey, Seijitsu, can you work some magic on any the computers in here?"

"Oh Akiko, you know I don't use magic on tech." Seijitsu smiled, cracking her fingers. "But I'll see if I can get something working."

"All right." Akiko gave Seijitsu a thumbs up.

"Need anything?" Impa inquired.

"Nah, you can all just hang back and relax for now." Seijitsu walked over to a computer terminal.

"Well, now we wait." Hanako sat down on a piece of rubble.

"Found the food room!" Ravage's voice echoed through the hallway and into the room. "It's on floor 2! Gonna take the ventilation shaft!"

"He is persistent..." Hanako muttered.

"AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHH!" The women looked at each other with confusion as Ravage screamed out in pain.

"Ravage?!" Akiko poked her head out the doorway.

"Who puts random spike traps in the ground?!" Ravage growled as he had a metal spike from the floor going through his left foot and lower jaw. He ripped himself off of it and immediately healed up, blasting the spike trap into oblivion. "Damn thing still worked, completely caught me off guard..." Ravage rubbed his chin.

"You okay?" Akiko called out.

"Yeah, yeah..." Ravage folded his arms. "Well, gonna get that food."

"That's why you keep your guard up." Hanako sighed.

"Oh crap..." Seijitsu put her hands on her hips.

"Something up?" Impa looked over to Seijitsu.

"Yeah, this thing is completely gone, just gone." Seijitsu sighed.

"Damage from the explosion, I guess." Akiko folded her arms.

"Nope." Seijitsu turned around and then leaned back on the terminal. "The system has been wiped."

"Well, he's a little smarter than most: I'll give this Merlot that." Hanako stood up.

"We should go get Ravage then and leave, we ain't finding any clues here." Impa unfolded her arms.

"Alright..." Akiko was cut off by Ravage crashing into the room, bursting through the ceiling.

"Damn him!" Ravage exclaimed as he clenched his fists as he was engulfed in flames and bio-electricity. He looked around at the bewildered women. "There's, there's no food left." Ravage stood up straight and unclenched his fists, his aura fading away. Hanako facepalmed. "Hey, hey. I have priorities alright." Ravage folded his arms.

"He's not wrong." Seijitsu shrugged.


	54. Day 6: Two Teams Meet

"What a fruitless search that ended up being." Hanako sighed as she stepped outside of the ruined facility. "Still it was to be expected." She folded her arms as the others joined her outside.

"It was best off to check anyway." Akiko rubbed the back of her neck.

"True." Hanako nodded. "You know if we were truly taking this seriously, me or you could just keep on flying round the planet until we found something, Akiko." Hanako added.

"True, but it's never that easy anyway. Besides, he's no real threat to us: may as well toy with him." Akiko shrugged.

"You'd be surprised how easy it can be sometimes." Ravage chipped in. "But still, may as well enjoy this adventure. No fun in easy victories."

"It'd be pragmatic." Impa spoke up.

"I'm not generally a pragmatic person... generally." Ravage responded. "Anyway, I'm going to make a quick trip to another universe... or two." He informed.

"What for?" Seijitsu asked.

"Some old friends." Ravage smiled. A blue portal opened up next to the kitsune. "Back soon." He gave a thumbs up whilst stepping into the portal.

"See ya." The women smiled and nodded. Ravage disappeared into the portal, the portal then immediately closing back up and then disappearing.

"I wonder who he's bringing." Seijitsu scratched her head.

"I ain't got the faintest of ideas." Akiko admitted.

"Search me." Impa shrugged.

"Hmm, I'm more concerned right now with the four small energies I sense behind that rock." Hanako unfolded her arms and smirked.

"Huh?" Akiko, Seijitsu and Impa turned around as Hanako raised her left arm. Hanako sent forth a tiny yellow ki blast that blasted the top half of the rock into oblivion.

"Humph, have you kids no manners that you have to try to sneak in on us, poor job by the way, or are you just frightened?" Hanako questioned Ruby; Weiss, Blake and Yang as the smoke cleared and they were revealed to the women, the girls' faces full of shock and awe. Hanako lowered her left arm. "Well? We don't bite, no need to be afraid." Hanako let loose a small smile. "Come on over." She folded her arms.

"H-hey." Ruby greeted, walking over with Weiss, Blake and Yang. "We're Team RWBY, I'm Ruby, that's Weiss, this is Blake and that's my big sister Yang."

"Nice gauntlets... mine can fire bullets and explosives." Yang spoke up.

"Cute." Hanako chuckled.

"Hi, I'm Akiko." Akiko stepped forward and gave a thumbs up. "What's your power levels?"

"You're definitely Ravage's friends." Weiss spoke up.

"Where is the little guy?" Ruby inquired.

"We actually don't know ourselves." Akiko chuckled. "He just popped off somewhere to go get some more friends for this little holiday."

"Seems a little overkill just for that Merlot." Blake commented.

"I think he just wants a lot of people around." Seijitsu smiled.

"You know about Merlot then?" Akiko smiled.

"Know about?" Yang grinned. "We're the ones who beat him." She cracked her knuckles.

"Beat is a strong word." Hanako spoke up from behind Akiko.

"Huh?" Team RWBY was caught off-guard by the remark. Hanako stepped past Akiko.

"You merely delayed his plans. You didn't beat him, you set him back." Hanako corrected Yang. "I don't bite, but I am critical." She shuck her head. "I don't know what standards you've all been trained to, but where I come from victory means only one side walks away. But, you are just teens so I suppose you did your best." Hanako's smile returned.

"Thanks..." Ruby rubbed the back of her head.

"Wow, you are in a really good mood." Akiko teased Hanako and nudged her a little with her left elbow.

"Well, by this world's standards they're the only ones around here I've sensed that are worth a damn, pretty much everyone else I've analysed is weak and worthless." Hanako shrugged. "Minus the Professor." She turned her gaze back to Team RWBY. "You lot have some amount of potential, if you wanna help out on this one: I hope you use a bit of it."

"You are pretty supportive... but also harsh." Ruby nodded.

"Discipline might help you on that path." Hanako snarked.

"She's just our token serious friend, she's also a clan leader so she has to be extra critical of the up and coming." Akiko interjected. "Believe me, we were all like you girls once. Train hard or find convenient ways to power up, or both, and you could get to our level one day. Maybe even surpass us. Anyway, I'm Akiko. This is Seijitsu, she's Hanako and our friend back there is Impa." Akiko followed up.

"A pleasure to meet you. Are you all strong like Ravage?" Blake asked.

"Nobody is strong like Ravage." Akiko answered. "It's why I'm thankful he's a good guy at the end of the day. But we are all pretty strong."

"Pretty strong?" Seijitsu spoke up. "Akiko, you and Hanako are the strongest women on Earth, in all of our known history."

"What's Earth?" Ruby wondered. The rest of her team shrugged.

"If you want a taste of true legendary power though, we can easily pass the time with a little game whilst we wait for Ravage." Hanako spoke up. "I train kids all the time back home anyway."

"I'm fine with two losses for this week." Blake stepped back.

"Yeah, I'm not sparring again for a while." Weiss stepped back with Blake.

"Yeah, gotta agree." Ruby shrugged.

"I'll consider." Yang smirked, folding her arms.

"So you're the ones Ravage fought at the academy?" Akiko inquired.

"Yep. Lost my one chance to pet him." Ruby sighed.

"His fur is very soft." Seijitsu smiled.

"I know right!" Ruby smiled back.

"So, I take it you were all sent by that Professor?" Impa spoke up from the back.

"Actually we kind of snuck off here... again." Ruby giggled.

"Yeah, we're not going to let Merlot away again." Blake added.

"Good. You have determination, I knew there was something I liked about you lot." Hanako nodded. "Of course, actions speak louder than words."

"Right." Yang nodded back. "I accept your offer to fight, to prove that."

"Good. But is this really to prove determination or to try to show off?" Hanako questioned.

"Honestly, I just like fighting..." Yang admitted.

"You must be Ravage's current rival then." Hanako muttered. "Very well. Try and land one hit on me."

"Huh?" Yang gave Hanako a puzzled look.

"Before I give you a sparring match, prove your determination. Try and land one hit on me." Hanako repeated herself. Akiko, Seijitsu and Impa stepped back.

"Ok." Yang nodded, adopting a fighting stance.

"Power up first." Hanako requested. She unfolded her arms.

"Power up...?" Yang raised a brow. "Alright."

"To your maximum." Hanako added. Yang nodded.

"Grrrgh... grrr... grrrrrghhhh..." Yang summoned all of the power she could tap into in her current form, the ground slightly cracking up beneath her as a fiery golden aura flickered over her: though it was unable to sustain itself completely. "Grrrgggh.. grrrr... arrrghhh!" Yang's aura flared up and she reached her full power as the ground around her cracked up further. "There we go." Yang grinned, her aura fading. "Want me to dial it back a little?"

"Humph. Well, just try your best." Hanako scratched her nose. Yang dashed forward, going in with a right hook. Hanako sighed and tilted her head to the side, effortlessly dodging the attack. Yang followed up with a left hook. Hanako disappeared and reappeared behind her. Yang spun around with a kick ready but Hanako had already reappeared off to her left.

"Huh?" Yang spun around to face Hanako again and Hanako jumped gracefully over Yang as Yang punched downwards. "Grr..." Yang did a 180 degree turn and unleashed a flurry of punches at Hanako. Hanako simply dodged each one without a care in the world. "Humph." Yang dashed backwards. Hanako folded her arms. "Here!" Yang moved as fast as she could and for a moment she thought she'd hit Hanako... but it was an afterimage. Yang's eyes widened. Hanako stepped over to Yang's right side.

"A few more tries." Hanako spoke up. She ducked under Yang's spinning kick before jumping over her follow-up roundhouse. Hanako proceeded to disappear and then reappear in multiple spots around Yang, Yang failing to land a hit each time.

"Come on." Yang stopped herself, trying to focus. She waited for Hanako to reappear again before launching her next attack. Hanako reappeared in front of Yang. Yang flew forward with a flying kick and Hanako effortlessly moved to the side at the last second, letting Yang kick the rock behind her to pieces. Hanako brushed the dirt off of her shoulder before ducking and letting Yang fly over her with a punch. Yang recovered and skidded to a halt as she landed back on the ground.

"You are determined, even though you're completely outclassed." Hanako reappeared behin Yang just as Yang turned back around.

"Huh?" Yang turned back around but Hanako sidestepped out of the way of her right hook and let Yang stumble past her. "Oh come on. Focus Yang." Yang berated herself. She twirled back around and let loose another kick but Hanako jumped over it regardless.

"Good, you're not losing it." Hanako complimented Yang. She dodged a few more punches before backflipping away from Yang's uppercut. "Come on, maintain a good stance, pace your breaths. Focus." Hanako jumped back as Yang leapt up and came down with a dive kick. "You're leaving yourself way too open, maintain a good stance, it's not hard." Hanako continued as Yang reaffirmed her fighting stance.

"Heh, she's training her." Akiko muttered off to the side.


	55. Day 6: Power of Legend

"Pick up the pace." Hanako ordered as she dodged and duck under Yang's flurry of attacks, avoiding punch after punch. "Come on." Hanako jumped over Yang and folded her arms as she landed behind her. Hanako ducked under Yang's left leg as Yang spun back around before performing a series of backwards handstands to dodge Yang's follow-up downwards punch. Hanako skidded to a halt as Yang pulled her fist back out of the ground. "Good, I can see how you handle those soulless beasts. Keep on improving your technique and you might actually live a full life." Hanako cracked her neck from side to side. "But you still have a long way to go, my younglings could put up a good fight against you after all."

"How are you this fast?" Yang questioned, reaffirming her fighting stance.

"I almost forgot you'd consider my current speed fast, I hope you're not too hurt by this but I haven't powered up at all." Hanako smirked. "Though if you'd like an estimate, I'm probably using five times as much power as you right now."

"Hmm..." Yang moved her left foot slightly further back. "Here!" She let loose a barrage of shots from her gauntlets, continually thrusting her arms back and forth until she had fired off 10 shots. Hanako simply deflected each one with her right index finger, every shot flying off and hitting either the ground or a rock.

"Your projectile spamming could do with some serious work however. Trust me, it's one of my favourite methods of quickly wearing down or overwhelming an opponent." Hanako folded her arms again.

"You know, I'd usually be pretty mad by now." Yang muttered.

"You are irritated though." Hanako commented.

"Very." Yang responded.

"Well you couldn't land a direct hit on me, then again I had no expectations that you would, but I suppose you have earned a sparring match for your stubborn determination." Hanako unfolded her arms.

"Neat." Yang smiled.

"Humph." Hanako couldn't help but smirk. "Akiko, I think I've found someone as foolhardy as you." She looked over to her rival.

"Neat." Akiko smirked back.

"So how powerful are you exactly...?" Yang inquired, raising her left brow.

"Let's answer your question with another question." Hanako turned her gaze back to Yang. "Are you ready to witness a power not seen outside of legend?"

"Aww. You should've said not seen for thousands of years." Akiko interrupted.

"Moving on..." Hanako frowned. "You should be honored, for I am the strongest human of my world..."

"Debatable." Akiko snickered.

"And you get to be the first human of this world to first-hand witness Ryujin's gift." Hanako held her arms up to her waist and clenched her fists as a calm blue aura flared to life around her. Yang braced herself.

"You girls will want to step back, or find something to hold onto." Akiko warned Ruby, Weiss and Blake.

"Grrrgh..." Hanako's aura turned golden and became wild, twisting and turning around her. "Grrrgggh..." The very ground began to shake as the clouds above were pulled to Hanako's location, all gathering together as the woman's power rose. "Hrrrggghhh..." Hanako's hair bangs flipped between their natural hanging down position and an upturned one, the ground beneath her now cracking up as several pebbles floated up around her golden aura. Yang stepped back, her eyes widened at the display. "Haaaarrrgggghhh..." Hanako's eyes flickered back and forth between orange and crimson as her jet black hair flashed gold repeatedly. "AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Hanako screamed up to the heavens as her aura sent out a shockwave that knocked Ruby, Weiss and Blake back a short distance before they recovered and sent Yang flying into the side of a cliff. A small beam of light burst from Hanako as she completed her transformation and Yang pulled herself out of the cliff side. "Aaaahhhhh..." Hanako took a deep breath as the light around her faded and her aura calmed, the dust settling and the pebbles around her falling back down. Hanako opened her eyes again and smirked as her aura faded away.

"You... you..." Yang struggled to even speak, Hanako's power chilling her to the bone.

"That's... unbelievable..." Weiss gulped, stumbling onto her feet.

"The pressure..." Blake grunted as she stood back up straight.

"Whoah, that... that power! Wait... Yang! She's got your thing!" Rub called out from the sidelines, smiling as she got back up.

"Huh?" Hanako raised a brow. "Hmm..." She wondered to herself.

"So, this Hanako definitely was one of the golden haired flying people we saw yesterday." Weiss muttered.

"Then Akiko, is no doubt the other one." Blake folded her arms.

"Imposing isn't it?" Hanako chuckled as she took a few steps towards Yang.

"Geh... gah... I... I..." Yang trembled, her knees were getting weaker. She was going up against a person with that much power? Madness, she thought. Hanako stopped.

"Hey, wipe that stupid look off your face: we're about to have a bit of fun here."

"I..." Yang was cut off.

"Wait... you actually think I have any intention of using my full power?" Hanako smiled. "Calm down kid, I'm not a monster. Huh, the children back home love to see me like this during training."

"S... sorry... I, I... can't help it." Yang tried to reassume her fighting stance but her trembling kept her off balance. "I didn't, I didn't think you'd be this... scary..." Yang laughed weakly.

"Scary? Heh, thanks, I thought I was beginning to lose my edge." Hanako laughed, trying to lift the mood.

"Heh, heh, guess I've really bit off more than I can chew." Yang began to laugh with her, easing up.

"Hey, you fought Ravage and he limits himself to his opponent's power all the time, I do the same for sparring. Look, look... if you're still unsure, I'll let you get the first hit in." Hanako held her arms out to the side, her power lowering to Yang's level.

"T... thanks." Yang regained her confidence. She reaffirmed her stance and took a deep breath. "I, I still can't believe it though."

"Humph, hurry up will you... I'm getting old here." Hanako cracked her knuckles.

"Right." Yang nodded.


	56. Day 6: Heaven or Hell, Let's Rock

"Hyaaahhh!" Yang dashed forward and delivered a mighty left hook to Hanako's right cheek. Hanako was unmoved by the attack.

"Heh..." She smirked. "Not half bad." Blood trailed from her lip. Yang fired off her left gauntlet with her fist still against Hanako's cheek and sent the shinobi tumbling back. Hanako quickly recovered, jumped back onto her feet and skidded to a halt. She wiped the blood from her lip. "But remember, that was your only free shot. Now, let's see if you can keep up." Hanako blasted off towards Yang and caught her off-guard with a gut punch, cutting off Yang's wind.

"Gah..." Yang stumbled back, holding her stomach.

"I sense you getting stronger." Hanako narrowed her eyes. "Have you been hiding a secret or two of yours?"

"Heh, maybe." Yang grinned. She launched herself at Hanako but Hanako swiftly dodged her flying punch and countered with a knee to the stomach. Hanako sensed her power rise again. "Yeah... I got a few tricks." Yang chuckled. Hanako caught Yang with her right arm and stopped her from falling forward.

"Feel that? That's what honesty feels like." Hanako chuckled back. Yang grabbed Hanako's arm and flipped her over but Hanako teleported out of Yang's grasp and reappeared behind her and then kicked Yang in the side of the head, sending her crashing into a rock. Yang's power continued to rise. Hanako kept her power at the same level Yang had started with. Yang burst out of the rubble and dashed forward, elbowing Hanako in the face before sending her flying upwards with an uppercut and a shot from her right gauntlet. Hanako flipped through the air before recovering and coming to a stop above Yang, folding her arms as she looked down.

"How'd you like me now?" Yang put her hands on her hips.

"Power isn't everything." Hanako disappeared from sight..

"Huh?" Yang exclaimed.

"You lack experience." Hanako reappeared in front of Yang with both her hands in front of her. "And refined technique." She unleashed blasts of ki from both palms and sent Yang tumbling back. Hanako blasted off after her. Yang recovered and managed to hold back Hanako's right knee whilst skidding backwards. Yang came to a halt and blocked Hanako's follow-up kick with her left leg.

"We'll just have to see." Yang grinned. Hanako blasted her in the face with a weak ki blast and then backflipped away. Yang stumbled back and was then knocked off her feet by a slide tackle from Hanako. Hanako proceeded to kick Yang in the stomach, holding her up above her with her right foot.

"Indeed." Hanako nodded. She reappeared above Yang and elbowed her in the back, smashing her into the ground. Yang reappeared to Hanako's left and sent her flipping through the air with a right hook. "Nice." Hanako complimented as she landed back on the ground at the same time as Yang. "Your power is rising quite nicely. Let's see if you can keep it up."

"You're gonna find out!" Yang rushed straight at Hanako. Hanako sprinted forward and the two clashed, grappling with each other: their fingers interlocked.

"There was at least 20 ways I could have punished your recklessness there." Hanako commented as she struggled against Yang. "Be thankful this isn't a serious bout."

"You should probably start taking me seriously." Yang grinned, overpowering Hanako and lifting her up.

"Really?" Hanako raised a brow. She used Yang's own strength against her and forced her to loose her balance, proceeding to flip Yang over herself and sent her tumbling along the ground. As Yang jumped back onto her feet, Hanako reappeared in front of her and struck her with a right hook.

"Grr..." Yang struck back with a left hook. The two stood there with their fists to each other's cheeks.

"You rely too much on brute strength." Hanako tripped Yang up before kicking her up into the air with both feet and then flying after her and uppercutting her in the chin.

"Geh!" Yang winced. Hanako reappeared behind her and got Yang in a chokehold.

"You have to learn strategy." Hanako threw Yang down to the ground with enough force for Yang's crash to create a small crater. "Humph. Here! Have some fireworks, kid!" Hanako began to thrust her arms back and forth, sending down a barrage of ki blasts. "Come on! Think of a plan!" Hanako kept up the pressure, hitting Yang and the crater around her with blast after blast.

"Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!" Yang sent all the approaching ki blasts flying away as her fiery aura flared to life and her eyes turned blood red. "AAAARRRGGGHHHH!" She powered up further, the ground cracking beneath her. Hanako ceased her ki blast barrage.

"Powering up further, how..." Hanako was caught off by guard when Yang fired a shot from her right gauntlet at her. Hanako backhanded the round away but was surprised by Yang flying up towards her after she had fired two shots from both of her gauntlets to launch herself into the air. Yang cut off Hanako's wind with a gut punch before knocking her down with both hands clasped together. Yang fired off another two shots up to the sky and this propelled her downwards fast enough to pass Hanako. Yang landed back on the ground and then caught Hanako on her right knee. Hanako growled and blasted Yang away by calling her aura back up, creating a shockwave as her golden energy engulfed her. Hanako then pulled off a backwards handstand to create more distance between the two as Yang skidded to a halt.

"How was that?" Yang grinned, her crimson eyes glowing.

"Amusing." Hanako smirked. "You have a quicker mind then I was starting to believe. Keep that improvisation up." She blasted off towards Yang and the two clashed with their right and left forearms respectively.

"The real fun's only just begun." Yang threw out a right hook. Hanako narrowly dodged the attack and hit back with a right hook which Yang was able to block.

"We'll see." Hanako dashed back. "Don't hold back, child!" Yang ducked under Hanako's kick and Hanako avoided her retaliation straight punch. The two engaged in a rapid pummel duel, both Yang and Hanako throwing out a series of punches and kicks that either collided with one another or were avoided by the two. Yang finally managed to land a direct hit on Hanako but before she could follow-up with a shot from her gauntlet, Hanako struck her back with a flaming rising uppercut. Hanako landed back on the ground as Yang flew higher and then blasted off after in pursuit, leaving behind a blazing trail of golden energy. Before she could fully recover, Yang was struck with a kick to the chin, followed by a series of punches to the stomach before Hanako held out both her arms to her sides. "Never underestimate a true warrior!" Hanako yelled, thrusting both arms forward and turning her open palms 90 degrees in opposite directions. "Gōka bakufū!" Yang was blasted head-on with the attack, the yellow ki beam sending Yang rocketing through the air. Hanako floated back down to the ground as Yang crashed down, her power rising dramatically but her fatigue rising as well from the attack. Yang stumbled back onto her feet and took a couple of deep breaths.

"Now hang on just a minute!" Ruby jumped up and then landed besides her big sister, giving Yang a quick thumbs up. "This is actually pretty interesting." Ruby twirled her scythe around. "Mind if I join the fight?" She pointed it towards Hanako. Hanako smirked and nodded. Ruby smiled back.

"You sure 'bout this?" Yang put her left hand on Ruby's right shoulder. Ruby looked back and nodded. "Tag team it is then." Yang chuckled. "Haargh!" She powered up briefly before reassuming her fighting stance.

"Let's go!" Ruby dashed forward. Hanako prepared herself.

"You heard her, Hanako." Akiko spoke up, tightening her headband with a grin. Hanako looked behind only for Akiko to blast past her already in her Super form. Akiko clashed with Ruby inbetween Yang and Hanako, her right forearm, and thus the armored vagrant's kote over it, colliding against Crescent Rose: the collision sending out a shockwave. Both Ruby and Akiko backflipped back to their allies.

"Akiko!" Hanako clenched her fists.

"Hey, I want something to do as well." Akiko shrugged before looking back over to Ruby and Yang. Hanako grated her teeth before reassuming her fighting stance. "We're real fighters!" She assumed her fighting stance. "It's heaven or hell, let's rock!"


	57. Day 6: Tag Battle

"Round 1! Here we go!" Ruby exclaimed. She and Yang dashed forward together. Akiko and Hanako dashed forth to meet the sisters head-on. The four clashed before Yang jumped back behind Ruby and Hanako teleported back to behind Akiko, both 'tagging' their allies in.

"Hadō-burasutā!" Akiko cupped her hands at her side before thrusting her arms forward and sending forward a blue energy ball. Ruby jumped over the attack and went in for a downwards strike. Akiko blocked the attack, skidding back a little before retaliating with a rising uppercut that struck Ruby on the chin. Ruby recovered in mid-air and used a backflip to create some distance between herself and Akiko. Ruby dashed forward upon landing and managed to hit Akiko with a swipe of her scythe, following the attack up by spinning around in place and comboing Akiko with a series of hits with Crescent Rose. "Argh!" Akiko used her aura to knock Ruby back, briefly flaring it up, before backflipping away. "Hadō-burasutā!" Akiko fired off another energy ball in mid-air, which Ruby dashed backwards to avoid. Akiko landed and dashed forward before going in with a right hook. Ruby blocked the strike. Akiko kicked Ruby in the knee, knocking her off balance. Akiko followed up with a series a spinning kicks, juggling Ruby through the air. Akiko followed this up with another rising uppercut, launching both into the air.

"Yang!" Ruby called out. Akiko teleported away as Yang jumped over her sister and tried to hit Akiko with a downwards punch.

"My turn!" Hanako dashed into battle and struck Yang with a slide kick as Yang landed on the ground. Yang managed to make a quick recovery and landed safely back on the ground, skidding to a halt before turning to face Hanako as Hanako spun back around to face her. "Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya!" Hanako let loose a barrage of six yellow ki blasts but Yang jumped over them and dive-kicked Hanako in the face before uppercutting her and then blasting her back with rounds from her gauntlets. Hanako recovered and dashed back to Yang and hit her with an elbow to the face. "Come here!" Hanako sent forth one of her spear-kunai. Yang was able to recover just in time to see it coming, allowing her to dodge it and retaliate with a shot from one of her gauntlets. Hanako teleported out of sight before reappearing behind Yang and hitting her with a flaming right hook to the face as Yang spun around, sending her skidding face-first along the ground. Yang jumped back onto her feet and blocked a flying kick from Hanako.

"Little help?" Yang smirked.

"Hi-yah!" Ruby jumped in and struck Hanako with her scythe. "Yang!"

"On it!" Yang dashed forward and kneed Hanako in the gut after Ruby jumped back after hitting Hanako with a sniper round.

"Akiko!" Hanako exclaimed before backflipping away. Akiko appeared in the air.

"Hadō-burasutā!" Akiko struck Yang with a diagonally aimed energy ball before teleporting back out of the action.

"Here!" Hanako punched the ground and a row of flame pillars proceeded to burst out of the dirt and juggled Yang along. "Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya!" Hanako followed up with another barrage of six yellow ki blasts, juggling Yang further back until she crashed onto the ground and jumped back onto her feet.

"Yang! Tag out!" Ruby jumped in.

"Take it from here!" Yang dashed back.

"Bring it!" Ruby twirled her scythe around. Hanako dashed forward only to be caught off guard when Ruby dashed past her, leaving behind a series of rose petals, and sliced her with her scythe. Ruby dashed back and hit Hanako again before launching her into the air with a rising scythe strike.

"Hanako, I got her!" Akiko blasted through the sky towards Ruby. Hanako teleported to safety as Akiko hit Ruby with a right hook. Akiko followed this up with a left hook, a knee to the gut and then a downwards hit with both hands. Ruby rocketed downwards and only just safed herself from smashing into the ground when Akiko came at her with a dive-kick. Ruby managed to block in time and then jumped back as she shot Akiko with a sniper round. Akiko was knocked back but managed to recover just as Ruby shot at her again. Akiko teleported past the bullet and reappeared just before Ruby, going in with an elbow.

"Ahh, Yang!" Ruby called out. Yang dashed in and hit Akiko with a flying punch, following it up with a series of rapid punches as Ruby recovered. Yang jumped back just as Akiko recovered from the sudden attack. "Here we go!" Ruby rushed forward and then went into a spin-attack. Akiko managed to block each strike and this knocked Ruby off balance, Akiko kicking her back during her opening.

"Have fun!" Akiko flew backwards as Hanako dashed in and stopped before Ruby.

"Humph." Hanako smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Get serious." Hanako taunted Ruby. Ruby giggled and then backflipped away as Yang jumped over her. Hanako jumped back before Yang punched the ground where she had stood. Yang quickly reassumed her fighting stance and then dashed forward. Hanako blocked her first hit, but was caught off-guard by a sweep-kick which Yang followed up on by blasting Hanako away with shots from both her gauntlets.

"Not so fast." Akiko teleported behind Yang. Yang's eyes widened just before Akiko spin-kicked her in the back and sent her flying towards Hanako who had already recovered. Hanako jumped up and hit Yang with a flaming rising uppercut before hitting her away with a kick to the side of the head. Yang recovered and jumped back onto her feet, skidding backwards to a halt as Hanako flew at her. Yang dashed forward and the two clashed with their left forearms. The ground cracked up around them. They both backflipped away from each other and as Hanako landed, Yang swapped places with her sister.

"I got this!" Ruby dashed forward. Hanako teleported behind Ruby and struck her with a flaming right hook. "Gah!" Ruby knocked Hanako back, making her stumble, before slashing at her repeatedly before backflipping as she shot her with two sniper rounds, stunning Hanako. Ruby dashed straight back at Hanako.

"Not so fast!" Akiko jumped in and hit Ruby with a dive-kick, allowing Hanako to escape. Akiko pressed the attack with a high kick, two jabs and then a rising uppercut. "Here we go!" Akiko blasted off after Ruby and hit her in mid-air with a series of punches and kicks before blasting her back down with another uncharged hadō-burasutā. "Hadō-burasutā!" Akiko hit Ruby square on in the face with her ki blast. Ruby crashed into the ground and as Akiko landed back down, Yang rushed in to hit Akiko with a right hook to the face as Ruby got back up. Akiko blocked Yang's follow-up left hook and dashed back as Ruby dashed towards her to help Yang. Akiko smirked. Hanako teleported to her side.

"Let's finish this." Hanako unfolded her arms.

"Hadō..." Akiko cupped her hands at her side and began charging her attack, blue ki gathering inbetween her palms.

"Gōka..." Hanako held her side before thrusting both arms forward and turning her open palms 90 degrees in opposite directions. A ball of yellow ki appeared inbetween her palms.

"Burasutā!" Akiko thrusted her arms forward.

"Bakufū!" Hanako screamed ahd fired off her attack in union with Akiko. The blue and yellow beams rushed towards Ruby and Yang, joining together as they blazed forth: creating a larger blue beam with a yellow spiral beam around it. Ruby and Yang's eyes widened.

"Oh this is gonna..." The sisters were cut off when the beam hit them and blasted them full force. As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, Yang and Ruby were revealed to be unconscious with Ruby atop Yang and the two up against a now ruined cliff face.

"I... am Super Hanako!" Hanako pointed to herself and grinned as her aura calmed.

"That was fun, better luck next time, heheh." Akiko tightened her headband before winking and giving a thumbs up.

"Nice show." Ravage's voice caught everyone's attention, the kitsune clapping as he spoke up. Everyone but the unconscious Yang and Ruby turned to see where he was.


	58. Day 6: Friends

To Ravage's right stood a 5 foot 8 caucasian woman with brown shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. The black cloak she wore which covered her torso, arms and the lower half of her face, going well with the black turban wrapped around her head. Though her legs were still visible: armored brown boots on her feet and baggy brown pants above. Her arms were folded, revealing her silver metal gauntlets with fingerless red gloves. Holstered on her lowered back was a folded-up scythe. The staff of her scythe was completely metal like the blade of the weapon itself, worn leather wrapped around the middle where it was generally gripped. To Ravage's left was a young man with wild, spiky red hair. His hair spiked up at the front, most of it leaning to his right with a few locks over his forehead, the back of his hair spiking outwards as well. His eyes were emerald green and his skin caucasian like the woman, though of a very slightly darker shade. He stood at 5 foot 11 and was dressed in an outfit very similar to Impa, though lacking the shroud: leaving him in black combat boots with navy blue baggy pants and a navy blue sleeveless turtle neck. A brown shoulder holster, akin to Ravage's holster, was over his turtle neck and a brown belt with a silver buckle held his pants up. He wore black fingerless gloves on his hands with white sports tape wrapped along his forearms. Holstered on his back was a double-sided broadsword with a simple metal handguard and a hilt wrapped in black leather. Under his left armpit, in a gun holster, was a large silver magnum with a triple barrel. He also had a pair of black sunglasses resting on his forehead. To this man's left was Neo, Ravage's alternate universe counterpart: the tail-less kitsune resting his greatsword on his right shoulder.

"Well, I can see Akiko and Hanako have had some fun." Ravage chuckled, noting the unconscious Ruby and Yang. "What a way to get acquainted with Team RWBY." He shuck his head and folded his arms. "I can dig it."

"My idea." Hanako exited her Super form, returning to her normal appearance, followed by Akiko doing the same. "I wanted to test them..." She walked over to Ruby and Yang. "Passable." Hanako knelt down and transferred some of her energy to the girls with a small smile.

"Huh..." Ravage muttered. Yang and Ruby slowly opened their eyes, both proceeding to groan as Hanako helped them back up onto their feet.

"Shame we missed the party." The redhead man smirked. "Looked like a real blast."

"Humph." The woman smiled.

"Careful..." Hanako advised as Yang shuck her head.

"Heh, I really do punch above my weight." Yang chuckled weakly. Hanako continued to smile.

"That was awesome by the way..." Ruby groaned, smiling back at Hanako as Blake and Weiss walked over to them.

"You getting deja vu, Neo?" Ravage looked over to his counterpart and smirked.

"Yeah..." Neo scratched the back of his left ear. "Pretty sure I managed to kick your ass back though." He smirked back.

"Pretty sure you took a few too many blows to the head back then." Ravage unfolded his arms.

"I'll be sure to repay the favour next time." Neo chuckled.

"Heh, same as always." The woman muttered to herself.

"So, who's your friends, Ravage?" Akiko smiled, speaking up. Team RWBY, Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa all looked over to Ravage and co.

"Say hello, gang." Ravage put his hands behind his neck and left leg in front of his right.

"I'm Oren, Oren Turk. King Dusca's special forces, 1st class of course." The redhead adjusted the sunglasses on his forehead.

"Neo, I'm a kitsune..." Neo shrugged. "Like Ravage." He added.

"I am Tidea Terram. Not much to say really." The woman followed up.

"Forgive her, for she is... anti-social." Oren shrugged and then chuckled as Tidea shot him a glare.

"Get a room already." Ravage put his hands on his hips as he stood inbetween the two. Tidea went to slap him around the head but Ravage backflipped over her hand. "Hah! Still faster!" He taunted upon landing.

"Urgh." Tidea rolled her eyes.

"Well, a slap is better then trying to kill me." Ravage grinned.

"I don't know, she has a mean slap, hell her backhand is pretty good as well.." Oren responded. "Remember our last outing?"

"Oh yeah she sent that robot flying through like an entire forest." Ravage recalled.

"Heh..." Tidea cracked a smile.

"A smile! Get the camera!" Oren pointed at Tidea.

"Hold on..." Ravage went to open his bag of holding. Neo raised his left brow.

"Alright, knock it off." Tidea shuck her head. "We got stuff to do."

"He's very, relaxed around them." Blake whispered to the rest of her team as they watched with Akiko, Seijitsu, Hanako and Impa.

"Ravage is always relaxed." Yang shrugged.

"No, I mean it's like when his mom was here." Blake explained. "He seems truly relaxed. It's something deeper."

"A wonderful observation Blake, but you know what I'm focused on? The other cute little k... kit..."

"Kitsune." Seijitsu spoke up and smiled at Ruby.

"Yeah, kitsune." Ruby nodded, smiling back. "I wanna pet him too." Neo looked over to Team RWBY, his ears having picked up what Ruby had said. "Hi!" Ruby waved.

"No petting." Neo shuck his head.

"But..." Ruby stopped waving.

"I have a girlfriend. No petting." Neo continued.

"Aww!" Ruby and Seijitsu squealed. Neo's eyes widened.

"Ravage, get me off this planet now."

"You're suffering with me." Ravage grinned.

"Your counterpart has a better love life then you." Oren chuckled. "Kinda sad, man."

"I'm like psychically... we've been over this." Ravage threw his hands up in the air.

"Messin' with ya little bud." Oren laughed, patting Ravage's left shoulder.

"Wait, now I'm confused about Neo." Tidea spoke up. Neo gave her a funny look.

"Oh he's just short." Ravage shrugged. Oren chuckled again.

"Hey." Neo interrupted.

"I'm not wrong." Ravage smirked.

"This is gonna be fun." Akiko smiled and folded her arms.

"Is that... an airship...?" Neo heared the distant rumbling of engines.

"Don't try n' change the... oh it is." Ravage cut himself off upon hearing it too. "Well that's convenient." Everyone looked up to the sky as the noise got louder.

"Huh, I guess this trip wasn't a waste after all." Hanako muttered.

"Neat. Let's kick some butt." Yang cracked her knuckles. Hanako couldn't help but smile. How she missed her youth, and the headstrong, careless and in it purely for fun attitude she once possessed and now saw once again in Yang.


	59. Day 6: Easing Into the New World

The airship broke through the clouds, slowing down as it became visible in the skies above. Ravage folded his arms. The airship came to a complete halt above the area of the island Ravage and co found themselves in. Tidea narrowed her eyes as Oren adjusted his sunglasses and grinned. Neo cracked his neck from left to right.

"Ravage, I call dibs on the first wave." Neo spoke up.

"Go right ahead." Ravage smirked. Akiko; Seijitsu, Hanako, Impa and Team RWBY looked back to Ravage. "So, who wants the tin cans after that?"

"I'll take that offer." Oren cracked his knuckles.

"Tidea?" Ravage looked to her. Tidea nodded.

"I'll take any left after Oren's go."

"Righto." Ravage smiled. Ruby patted Yang on the back as her big sister sighed.

"Tin-cans?" Seijitsu started grinning. "Oooh, I'll get a lot of spare parts." Akiko chuckled at Seijitsu's delight. They all looked back up to the airship as it hovered above.

"Come on, send out some mooks." Ravage muttered. Neo spun his greatsword around in his right hand as he looked up. Ravage and everybody but Neo moved back to the ruins of the facility as Neo stabbed his blade into the ground and folded his arms as he closed his eyes. A cold breeze blew past Neo, his head fur waving in the wind as he waited. Akiko raised a brow as a hanger bay door on the left side of the airship slowly opened up. "Huh, he's actually playing ball." Ravage's right eye widened. Neo sighed and reached into his jacket, turning on his music player. Atlesian Knight-130 after Atlesian Knight-130 dropped out from the airship, each one landing down with a mighty thud and surrounding Neo. Neo opened his eyes as the headphones around his neck began to blast out music. He wrapped his right hand around the hilt of his greatsword as the machines took aim at him.

"I love this part." Neo grinned. He backflipped just before the robots opened fire and landed behind one Atlesian Knight-130 and promptly sliced it in half before kicking its top half into one of its comrades, jumping back up immediately after and pulling out his quadruple barreled handgun mid-leap. Neo jump from the head of one AK-130 to another before dropkicking the next in the face and forcing it to the ground. Neo kicked the ground besides the downed machine with his left foot and this sent the android he stood upon skidding along the ground. Neo forced the android he was surfing upon into a spin and began firing off his handgun in the meantime, shooting apart several AK-130s as he spun past them. Neo jumped off of the downed android and let it trip up two other AK-130s, who landed upon and shot repeatedly until the scattered remaining Atlesian Knight-130s locked onto him. Neo rolled to the side as they began firing and then dashed forward to strike the closest robot to him with a swing of his greatsword: followed up by several quick slashes and then an upwards slash that launched the broken android up into the air. Neo dodged several more shots from the remaining AK-130s, making his way quickly over to his foes and transforming his weapon into its 'exceed' mode, the blade extending and engulfing in flames and electricity. Neo dashed past one Atlesian Knight-130 and struck it head-on with an enhanced strike: the android blowing to pieces as Neo spun back around and skidded to a halt with his left hand scraping across the ground. Neo's greatsword reverted back to its normal state and the kitsune rolled over to the next closest robot and then lifted himself and the machine up into the air with a rising sword strike. Neo pulled out his handgun and quickly fired off several bullets into the AK-130 before cutting it to pieces with 3 quick slashes. Neo landed back down and immediately dashed towards the remaining AK-130s with his greatsword entering 'exceed' mode once again. Neo leapt high into the air, avoiding a spray of bullets and lifted his greatsword over his head, wrapping both hands around its hilt as he flew at the androids. Neo came crashing down and slammed his blade into the ground before immediately launching himself back up into the air with a blue demonic rune, leaving his weapon behind. An explosion raged out from his weapon and engulfed the last few AK-130s around it as Neo began falling back down. As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, Neo was revealed to the group playing air guitar with his greatsword holstered on his back whilst the head of one Atlesian Knight-130 rolled past him. "Heh..." Neo stopped playing air guitar and shrugged as he crushed the metal head under his left foot. "Guess they aren't even sentient garbage, lame." He ran his right hand through his head fur and grinned, his bangs falling back down into place. "Hey, Oren you're up." Neo looked up to see another wave of Atlesian Knight-130s jumping out of the airship as he walked back to the group.

"Boo-yeah, time to kick back and have fun." Oren fist-pumped the air as he began walking forward.

"They'll get your blood flowing at least, wake you up." Neo chuckled as he passed Oren. Oren nodded and wrapped his right hand around the broadsword holstered on his back. The next batch of mooks landed, these Atlesian Knights armed with both assault rifles and batons. Oren stopped a short distance in front of the machines.

"Boy oh boy..." Oren put his hands on his hips and shuck his head with a sigh and smirk. "Aren't you guys unfortunate, you look like trash and now I'm gonna put ya where you belong. The scrap heap. I almost feel bad, really." He shrugged. He tilted his head to his right as the gun-totting androids took aim. "Still wanna go? Talk about having a few screws loose." Oren chuckled. He adjusted his sunglasses before clapping his hands together and then beckoning the androids to attack. "Come on, ya got a free shot."

"I've missed you guys." Ravage smiled. Tidea and Neo looked over to him and couldn't help but smile with him.

"Wooh, yeah!" Oren dodged around bullet after bullet without effort before swinging his sword and catching several more bullets on its blade and then flinging them away before pulling his triple-barreled revolver out and spinning it around in his left hand as he holstered his sword on his back again. "Bang, bang!" Oren fired off shot after shot, countering every last bullet flying at him with his gun's own magic bullets. The Atlesian Knight-130s armed with batons charged at Oren as their allies reloaded. Oren twirled his gun around and smirked, putting the weapon back in its holster. "I'll show you what a 1st class can do! Let's rock!" Oren dashed forward, drawing his sword as a blue energy engulfed the blade. He flipped his broadsword around and skidded to a halt, now holding his sword in a reverse grip. A trio of baton wielding AK-130s leapt at Oren, preparing their attacks as they flew at him. Oren chuckled and promptly swung his sword three times, sending out a blue crescent sword beam with each swing: each energy blast hitting one of the leaping Atlesian Knight-130s and obliterating them upon contact. Oren twirled his broadsword around once again, thrusting forward with it and impaling the closest android through the chest with his blade. Oren swung his sword around with the machine still impaled upon the blade and sent the machine flying into one of its metal brothers as he turned and blocked a barrage of bullets before leaping up and pulling out his revolver in mid-air to blow the heads off of two of his attackers with well-aimed shots before coming down with his blade and splitting another android besides them straight down the middle. Oren rolled forward and sliced straight through another baton wielding AK-130 and then roundhousing its broken metal body away, following up by shooting a distant machine to pieces and then dashing back as another AK-130 attempted to strike from above with their baton. Oren clapped as he skidded to a halt, taunting the Atlesian Knight. He then swiftly leaned to the side and let the bullets fired by a AK-130 behind him hit the AK-130 in front of him. Oren turned around and shrugged at the other android before shooting it up with his revolver. "What's a matter? Targeting computer outdated?" Oren smirked as the AK-130 fell to it knees and then onto its front. Oren holstered his gun and then adjusted his belt before beginning his walk back to the group. "Keeping up the style." He chuckled. "Yo, Tidea. Feel free to take whatever's next." Tidea nodded and unfolded her arms. She began walking out from the group, passing Oren on the way.

"Take notes, Ruby." Ravage smiled as he watched Tidea walk out into the open. Ruby gave a slightly puzzled look back to the kitsune but quickly returned her focus to Tidea. Tidea stopped directly before the remains of the previously destroyed androids and folded her arms again as the wind blew her brown hair and black cloak to her right. The woman closed her eyes and waited patiently for her foes. Tidea took hold of her turban with her right hand and proceeded to cast it aside, revealing her forehead and that her hair was parted evenly at the front. Akiko, Hanako and Ravage were the first to sense her power rise with the removel of the piece of weighted clothing. Tidea cracked her neck from right to left before opening her eyes and looking up as the machines began to descend from the fortress in the sky. She remained unfazed as android after android crashed down around her, machine after machine surrounding the woman. They just kept on coming. Tidea drifted her eyes from left to right, her gaze passing over each Atlesian Knight-130 in her view. Each android armed with a gun locked onto the woman and each one with a baton or sword adopted battle stances, readying their weapons. Without warning the AK-130s armed with melee weapons charged, going in to dog-pile Tidea. She sighed. All of the androids charging her were blown back by a sudden shockwave, a burst of energy emitted from Tidea's body. As the dust settled Tidea skidded backwards until she came to a halt outside of the circle of machines, reaching for her weapon which was holstered on her lower back as she stood up straight and the AK-130s looked around in confusion before catching sight of her again. Tidea twirled her weapon around as its main body, the staff, unfolded and snapped into place and then rested it over her right shoulder just as its large curved blade popped out: her scythe now ready to fulfill its purpose. The wind blew her cloak to the side again once more as the melee AK-130s sprinted towards her. Tidea twirled her scythe around and began walking forward, her hazel eyes focused on her foes. Tidea backhanded the first tin-can away with her left hand then sliced the next clean in half with her scythe and then dashed forward just as it began to fall apart. Tidea reappeared in the air directly above one AK-130 and promptly stomped it into the ground before catching the two Atlesian Knights behind it on her blade and swinging them around before slicing them both in half and moving onto the next the android and headbutting it, followed up by grabbing its face and dragging the bot along as she swiftly cut down another machine with lightning fast slices. Tidea crushed the head of the 130 in her grasp before throwing it into the assault rifle armed machine a few metres away and then dashing past the colliding machines and resting her scythe on her shoulder again as they fell to pieces behind her whilst she continued walking along. Several bullets flew at Tidea as she walked forward but all it took was a swipe of her scythe to send them flying back and destroy the two machines off to her right that had fired them at her. Tidea dodged several sword slashes from one Atlesian Knight-130 before twirling around the machine and stabbing it in the back with her weapon held in reverse. Tidea yanked her weapon back out of the android and let it slump down as she pressed on. Tidea cracked her neck again before dashing from left to right to avoid a new barrage of bullets before reappearing besides her attacker with her scythe through their metal neck. Another sword wielding AK-130 tried to hit Tidea from her left with a leaping strike but she simply blocked the blade with the gauntlet on her forearm. Tidea sliced off the first AK-130s head and then spun around and impaled the 2nd on her scythe before slamming them into the ground and then kicking a hole through the torso of the baton wielding android that had charged her from behind. Tidea narrowed her eyes and then leapt into the air with the androids still on her scythe and left leg respectively as a Spider Droid came crashing down. As Tidea flipped through the air she threw the two defeated bots away and then landed safely atop the Spider Droid before throwing her scythe out so that it spun through the air and sliced through several of the remaining Atlesian Knight-130s before she leapt off of the Spider Droid before it could throw her off itself. Tidea landed with her back to said machine as her scythe returned to her and she caught it in her left hand. Tidea dodged out of the way of several energy blasts from the Spider Droid and as she reappeared off to the right of the impact, held her scythe behind her back with both hands gripped around its staff. Tidea shot the Spider Droid a death glare as she looked over her left shoulder. She twisted the upper and lower halves of her scythe's staff in opposite directions and then they seperated: another scythe blade popping out of the seperated lower half. Tidea turned around and twirled her duel scythes around before dashing forward. Tidea effortlessly moved inbetween each shot fired at her by the Spider Droid before leaping up and throwing her duel scythes at it, slicing off all four of its cannons before Tidea landed back on top of it and called her scythes back to her. The Spider Droid stumbled back and Tidea leapt straight back up into the air before dashing straight back down and slicing through the machine multiple times from multiple angles in the blink of an eye. Tidea reappeared in front of the defeated Spider Droid just as the cuts became visible and sliced the Atlesian Knight-130 directly in front of her into four pieces with a X attack with both scythes as the Spider Droid exploded behind her. Tidea rejoined her duel scythes together and the lower bladed retracted back into the staff so as to fully return her weapon to its basic form as the explosion behind her died away and the last Atlesian Knight-130 charged at her. As the dust settled Tidea swung her scythe once more and the AK-130 to her left fell onto its knees before its torso disconnected from its legs and both halves crashed down onto the dirt ground. Tidea looked up to the airship and folded up her weapon before holstering it on her lower back again, her turban reappearing on her head as she folded her arms.


	60. Day 6: Fun & Games

"Hmm... has he run out of expendable mooks already?" Ravage muttered as he looked up to the airship along with everyone else. "Heh, of course not." He ran his right hand through his head-fur.

"Alright, now that the show's over..." Hanako unfolded her arms. "I'll aim for the center, away from the command deck." She raised her right arm and took aim as a yellow sphere of ki appeared in front of her open palm. Ravage's eyes widened. Akiko went Super and teleported into the air and reappeared before the charging blast.

"Hey, we can't just end it right away, we're on vacation: this is our big event for it." Akiko held her arms out to the side.

"Yeah, no need to take this seriously at all." Ravage spoke up.

"There's kids here." Hanako replied.

"And they kicked his butt like 2 weeks back. He's filler to them." Ravage responded.

"Wow, that's pathetic." Hanako lowered her arm and stopped charging her blast. "Fine, I suppose we do need a main event."

"You are... hard to read." Ruby scratched her head.

"You get used to it." Impa and Akiko responded in unison.

"Welp, nothing." Seijitsu put her hands on her hips. "Spare parts are mine." She dashed off.

"Seijitsu wait!" Akiko turned her head to look in her student's way.

"Fuel cells, I need fuel cells." Seijitsu rushed around from destroyed android remain after destroyed android remain, dashing from one scrap heap to the next. "No, that one is leaking." Seijitsu disappeared and reappeared as she searched. Tidea gave the pink haired ninja a bewildered look as she rushed around. "Darn, that one is like metal confetti."

"What exactly is your friend doing?" Blake questioned as Akiko landed back on the ground next to Hanako.

"Looking for spare parts." Akiko sighed and shuck her head before smiling.

"Ooh, she's a mechanic of sorts?" Ruby inquired. Akiko nodded.

"Guess you could say that. She's always had a fascination with machinery. Too much mecha." Akiko joked, Seijitsu was just naturally a technology fan.

"I could believe that." Hanako commented.

"Hey, did you even have a childhood? You even heard of a TV?" Akiko smirked.

"Humph." Hanako folded her arms.

"Yeah, you must of had something." Yang smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"Training." Hanako looked back up to the airship.

* * *

"Iiyo!" Kid Hanako fist pumped as she landed back on the ground after uppercutting a training dummy up to the air and then breaking it apart with a mid-air roundhouse kick. She was around the age of 12, dressed in a simple yellow gi with a brown rope belt around her waist and her jet black hair unkempt and untied, it reaching to just past her shoulders. "Yūshoku no jikan." Kid Hanako cracked her knuckles and grinned before putting her hands on her hips.

"Hoshimoto!" Her master exclaimed, slapping Kid Hanako around the back of the head after teleporting to directly behind her student. "Nokori o oemasu." They ordered. Kid Hanako rubbed the back of her head.

"Dakedo..." She was cut off.

"Nokori o oemasu." Her master repeated.

"Hai." Kid Hanako sighed and nodded. Her master frowned. "Hai masutā."

"Yoi." Her master smiled. "Anata wa mada sore o tsukurudeshou. Sukeban." They folded their arms. "Ima tsudzukemasu."

"Hai masutā." Kid Hanako solemnly nodded before adopting their fighting stance and focusing on another training dummy.

* * *

"Ya gotta relax every now and then, specially as a kid, jeez." Yang rolled her eyes. Hanako chuckled. Yang gave her a funny look.

"Found a good one, yes, yes, yes!" Seijitsu jumped for joy as she held up an intact Dust fuel cell. "Back soon!" Seijitsu disappeared, teleporting away and back to Ravage's log cabin.

"Where'd she go?" Weiss questioned.

"Back to the cabin." Ravage informed. "No doubt about it."

"Cabin? You guys have a cabin?" Ruby questioned.

"Oh sweet, I hope you got an arcade." Oren spoke up.

"We will now." Ravage gave a thumbs up.

"Awesome." Oren grinned.

"Hey! The hanger is opening again!" Tidea called out to everyone as she stared up at the airship. "I'm done with the tin-cans." Tidea turned to her right and started walking back to the group.

"Wow, he is playing ball." Ravage chuckled.

"Come on team, let's get in on this." Ruby smiled and looked to Weiss, Blake and Yang.

"Oh well if you insist." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'll take double if you wanna hang back." Yang cracked her knuckles. The next minion of Merlot's crashed down after pouncing out of the airship's hanger. Tidea stopped in her tracks and looked behind her as the dust settled and multiple glowing green eyes stared at her through the clearing veil. Tidea scoffed and kept on walking. Ravage unfolded his arms and everyone else focused on the new threat.

"Oh you are joking..." Weiss frowned. The Mutant Death Stalker that had been released let out a furious roar.

"It just had to be." Blake reached for her weapon.

"Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine..." Ravage dashed off, sprinting into battle and pashing Tidea on the way. "MINE!" Ravage leapt up as the mutated Grimm let out another roar and prepared its stinger.

"You heard him." Weiss folded her arms and stepped back. Ravage wrapped his hand around his right sheathed katana's hilt as he flew at the Grimm. The Mutant Death Stalker leapt up and the two were now heading straight for one-another in mid-air. Just before Ravage could use a quick-draw the Mutant Death Stalker sent him flying into the base ruins with a smack from its right pincer, and the kitsune immediately jumped straight back out and flying kicked the mutant in the face, sending it flying back and tumbling along the ground.

"Nice." Ravage landed back on the ground inbetween the Grimm and everyone else. "It is much stronger." The Mutant Death Stalker quickly flipped itself over after thrashing around a little. "This'll be fun." Ravage wrapped his right hand around his katana's hilt again as he moved his left leg behind his right. Just then a 2nd Mutant Death Stalker landed besides its brethren. Team RWBY's eyes collectively widened. Ravage stared at the sight. "YES!" He let go of his katana's hilt and raised both arms up. Team RWBY gave each other bewildered looks. Both mutated Grimm roared at Ravage. "Oh come on!" Ravage grinned. Both he and the two Grimm rushed towards one another.


	61. Day 6: An Unwelcome Interruption

Ravage jumped around the two mutant Grimm, avoiding their attacks and getting quick slashes in here and there before leaping out of the way of one of their attacks. As the stinger of one Death Stalker came down, Ravage backflipped to safety and then dashed out of the way of a claw swipe from the other Grimm. Ravage skidded backwards to a halt as both Grimm turned to face him, the kitsune preparing to draw his katana again from its sheath. He chuckled.

"Now... now I'm a little motivated... just a little." Ravage narrowed his right eye. "Finally, some mooks worth a damn around here."

"He's just toying with them." Hanako scoffed, watching on with her arms folded. "They're nothing special... but I suppose this is the best he's had from the beasts so far."

"Who are you people?" Weiss' eyes widened.

"They reek of a... terrible power, more so then the others. Their scent disgusts me." Impa spoke up.

"But wait, you... don't have a nose." Ruby spoke up, staring at the Oni.

"A visible nose you mean." Impa corrected. "My biology is obviously quite different from humans, more so then your friend in black."

"Scent?" Blake sighed.

"Scent." Impa nodded.

"I don't smell anything." Ruby smiled.

"Humph." Impa folded her arms, trying to hold back a smirk. "Amusing."

"Hah!" Ravage landed a downwards strike on the head of one of the mutated Grimm, his blade becoming lodged in its thick plating. "Huh?" He looked up in time to be hit head-on by a green blast of goop from the Deathstalker's stinger. Ravage was launched back and sent tumbling across the ground before he recovered and landed back on his feet. "Urrgh..." Ravage shuck his head. "Disgusting." He resheathed his sword before dashing back into battle. Ravage dodged around several more blasts from both Deathstalkers' stingers before going in with a quick-draw as he reappeared besides the 2nd Grimm. A few of the blasts headed towards the others but Oren shot most of them apart whilst Akiko teleported forward to smack the others away. One however got past her and Hanako smirked, unfolding her arms. It was heading straight for Yang. Hanako reappeared directly before the girl, her back to her.

"What a pitiful attack." Hanako clenched her fists. The blast hit her directly, but it didn't even leave a scratch on the kunoichi. "Not even worth dodging." Hanako refolded her arms as she cracked her neck from side to side before reappearing in her old position.

"Wow, just tank it why not. Thanks." Yang smiled.

"May as well." Hanako replied.

"Looked icky though." Ruby interjected.

"I've had worse. This one time I had to cut my way out of a powerful demon's stomach." Hanako informed. "Now you might think they'd be softer on the inside but that's just a misconception. Took a few seconds longer then I'd hoped."

"How'd ya get out?" Neo inquired.

"How'd you get in!?" Weiss exclaimed.

"The front door." Hanako snarked in response to Weiss. "And I certainly wasn't going to chose the back door as my exit. So I blew it up by letting loose a lot of my energy. Good times."

"Nice." Neo nodded.

"Argh!" Ravage was hit with another stinger blast and then smacked into a rock by the mutant Grimm. "Some of it got in my mouth. Tastes terrible, no surprise." Ravage stumbled out of the rubble and coughed.

"Urrrgh." Tidea shuck her head.

"Oh don't worry, the taste will be the least of your concerns." Ravage looked up to see an old man with a cybernetic red left eye and a crimson metal right arm descend in a pod shaped personal-mobile.

"The man himself..." Yang muttered.

"Uhh... wait, what?" Ravage scratched the back of his left ear.

"I am Doctor Merlot, the greatest scientific genius the world has ever known!" The man announced as the mutant Grimm backed away from Ravage and Merlot hovered in the air before the kitsune in his pod.

"And I'm a 3 foot 3 anthropomorphic creature with attitude, we're gonna have such a unique dynamic." Ravage spoke with such obvious sarcasm. "So... when do you bust out the robotic copy? Actually don't do that, I hate copycats." He added. "Hi Neo." Ravage looked over to his counterpart. Neo chuckled and gave him the finger.

"You'll make such a... interesting specimen." Merlot grinned.

"Hey, look. I'm physically 3, doc, but no amount of candy will work. Also, no homo. Actually, no anything." Ravage smirked.

"Wait... what...?" Merlot was baffled.

"So how's that greatest scientific mind holding up in your twilight years? I mean, you only got beat by a group of meddling kids last week." Ravage continued.

"No seriously, what?" Merlot was still baffled.

"How many years of work down the drain? How much research? And glowing green knock-offs of expendable mooks and some outdated tin-cans is all you had to show? What were you planning to conquer, the bingo hall?" Ravage folded his arms.

"He's... snarky..." Blake raised a brow.

"The old man interrupted his fight, he's lucky Ravage is feeling laid back." Tidea spoke up.

"What's your next ace in the hole? Making death machines out of kidnapped people? I mean, you've already covered essentially mutant animals and regular robots. You're literally filler man, it's kind of sad." Ravage shrugged.

"Alright, I've heard enough, moving on..." Merlot sighed.

"Have you considered a good old virus?" Ravage just continued. "That's a tried and true thing."

"Funny you ask, I've used one on you. A mind virus actually in simple terms. Though if you like, I could explain in great..." Merlot grinned.

"You're even dumber then I thought." Ravage interrupted.

"I beg your pardon?" Merlot's right eye widened.

"Well for starters, you think something designed for Grimm would work on a being you have no knowledge of?" Ravage inquired.

"Oh you underestimate me..." Merlot chuckled.

"I doubt that."

"Not just Grimm, but still, let's field test." Merlot continued to chuckle.

"Can I just get back to fighting your pets? You've interrupted me, and ruined your shot for a grander reveal." Ravage asked. "Well, as grand as you could get."

"No! On with the field test!" Merlot pushed a button on the control pad of his pod. Nothing happened.

"Shooting blanks, hey?" Ravage unfolded his arms. Merlot pressed the button again. Still nothing. "Wonderful, you've wasted just over a minute of fight time." Ravage sighed.

"Hmm, hold on, making some calibrations." Merlot went to input some commands when an ki blast flew past his face. "Gah!" Merlot yelped.

"Let Ravage fight your pets, old man!" Hanako shouted from the sidelines. "You're on borrowed time as it is."

"And who are you?" Merlot looked over to Hanako and the others. "I see you're with those... girls." Merlot narrowed his eyes. Team RWBY readied their weapons. "How uncivilised."

"Never did get to directly pay you back." Yang cracked her knuckles.

"Yeah, you big meanie." Ruby frowned.

"I lost to those people..." Merlot's eyes widened briefly.

"You're just a constant stream of disappointment aren't you?" Ravage interjected. Merlot growled. "Just get back in your ship, I'll be done in like 3 minutes."

"I did not come here to be made a fool of." Merlot's right eye twitched.

"You should have really stayed at home then." Ravage responded.

"Kill him, his corpse will have to do." Merlot sighed as he ascended back up to his airship in his pod.

"Strange, letting him go so easily..." Hanako spoke to herself.

"Well, that was uneventful." Ravage shuck his heav. "Back to the fight."

"Hmm, Seijitsu's back..." Akiko muttered, sensing her pupil's energy nearby.

"What's this...?" Merlot looked at the display screen in the center of his pod's control pad whilst returning to his ship.


	62. Day 6: A Demon Reawakened

Ravage dashed past the first Deathstalker, slicing away at its legs along the way, before reappearing above the 2nd to dive-kick it in the face and then knock it back with a mid-air pinwheel sword attack: landing back besides the first afterwards. The Grimm went to swipe at Ravage with its left claw but Ravage caught the attack with his right hand. He then threw the large beast up into the air before launching himself after it. With a rising uppercut and the spectral copy of his demon arm, the Kitsune burst straight through the Grimm's weak underbelly and then out of its back: the Deathstalker split in half by the attack. Ravage flipped around and then summoned a rune to launch him straight back down and mid-descent he used a series of dimension cuts to obliterate the remains. Ravage landed back on his feet, creating a small crater upon impact, and as the dust cleared he smirked at the remaining mutant Deathstalker. The Grimm let out a furious roar and prepared to charge, only to be distracted by a trio of red-hot shurikens jamming into its plating. Ravage's right brow raised. He looked over his right shoulder.

"Target acquired." The metal canine that stood beside Seijitsu as she smiled and waved spoke. "Beginning the mission now. Complete annihilation of all enemy combatents." The mechanical hound pounced from atop the ruins of Merlot's old base and landed besides Ravage.

"Go get 'em, boy." Seijitsu cheered. Its body was sleek and well-armored, painted white with blue decals, with a long prehensile tail waving behind it and four razor sharp claws on each paw and a set of metal teeth lining its mouth.

"Combat mode, engaged." What appeared to be its ears slid down its face and now covered its glowing blue eyes, forming a face-mask. A single-edged blade extended from the end of its tail and was quickly surrounded by small sparks of electricity as two sets of shurikens popped out of the robot's hind legs: ready to be grabbed and thrown by its tail later on.

"She built an attack dog?" Hanako continued to observe. "Fine, let's see if it can display some power."

"Not bad, Seijitsu, not bad at all." Akiko patted her student on the back after she landed besides her.

"Thanks. Been working on him for a while." Seijitsu smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

"Alright, fido, I'll throw you a bone... let's have some fun together." Ravage chuckled as he looked the robot over.

"Wordplay: my exoskeleton resembles that of a canine, canines are fond of bones. Thus that was amusing on two levels."

"Nice." Ravage looked back to Seijitsu.

"What? He's just naturally snarky. But he's a good boy." Seijitsu smiled and shrugged.

"Oh, ok." Ravage shrugged back. "Let's cut to the chase, fido." Ravage's right crimson pupil glowed with power as he prepared to draw his blade and the mechanical hound besides him assumed a battle-ready stance.

"My designation is Razor Wolf, your designation is Ravage correct?" The bot informed and inquired.

"Y-yeah." Ravage answered.

"I hope you live up to your combat data, it will be an honor to fight besides you."

"Heh, I'll surpass whatever data you have on me, I have no limits..." Ravage chuckled as he holstered his sword on his back. "Because..." The ground beneath the kitsune became cracked and scorched as flames engulfed him, his aura kicking up torrents of wind and making a ring of pebbles float around him with the bio-electricity zapping around his body. The sky darkened and the ground cracked up further as Ravage's aura flared, his right eye's pupil glowing brighter and brighter. "I'm my mother's son..." Ravage narrowed his right eye, his shaggy fur waving in the wind. "And my mom, she's the best there is at what she does." He smiled, a genuine smile of warmth and happiness. "Let's dance." Ravage's smile turned to a smirk, the sky brightened as his aura faded and the chaos ended. The kitsune and Wolf dashed forward into the fray.

"Finally, some action..." Hanako muttered under her breath.

"Such determination..." Tidea smiled from the sidelines. "I expect no less from the prince who saved our world. I am glad he retains his spirit no matter the length of the passage of time."

"Wait, Ravage is a prince?" Akiko gave Tidea a bewildered look. This was news to her.

"He may be far from royal, the little devil, but his mother was the last Empress in the old age of my world." Tidea chuckled. "She united the planet, through both force and diplomacy, and only in the final year before the calamity was her rule challenged. Raine, the Pirate Queen, Kitsune prodigy and the last Empress. She had a few titles back then."

"Whoah, if I knew I was talking to royalty a few days back, I'd of done my hair twice those mornings." Yang laughed.

"I cannot believe I was in such a presence... what, what if I spoke out of turn...?" Weiss' eyes widened. Tidea and Oren burst into laughter.

"Oh you crazy kids..." Oren shuck his head. "Look at Ravage. You think he gets his behaviour from thin air? His mom don't care, hell she bakes cookies when we visit. They're delicious as well, like the best cookies, truly, the best."

"Cooking is definitely something not passed down to Ravage though." Tidea sighed.

"Urrghhh, hell no..." Oren shivered.

"Agreed." Akiko added, shaking her head.

"Don't let Ravage cook anything for you." Impa looked to Team RWBY.

"Noted." Ruby nodded.

"Why isn't that fool sending out more of these things? He can't be that foolish to think holding back will work." Hanako looked up to Merlot's airship.

"You not feeling a little spectatorship today?" Akiko smirked. Hanako frowned. "Hey, cheer up, we'll get more stuff to fight soon enough."

"I grow tired of being sidelined, we should be taking the fight to him." Hanako tapped her left foot on the ground.

"What's eating you all of a sudden?" Akiko gave Hanako a funny look.

"Grrgh..." Hanako unfolded her arms and clenched her fists. "I... I have a really bad feeling about something..." She admitted with relent.

"Huh?" Seijitsu scratched her head.

"I feel it to..." Impa interjected, looking up to the airship.

"Oh come on, we're gonna have a walk in the park with this." Oren dismissed the concerns.

"Hanako, you seem flustered, are you ok?" Akiko put her left hand on Hanako's right shoulder.

"I just have this gut feeling..." Hanako sighed. She closed her eyes and saw nothing but fire. Hellfire. Torment. "Gah..." She immediately reopened them.

"Hey..." Akiko tried to look into her friend's eyes.

"Grrrr." Hanako shuck her comfort off. "We should be fighting." Hanako clenched her right fist in front of her face.

"Hey, snap out of it..." Akiko was cut off by Hanako's aura flaring to life.

"Graargh!" Everybody was blown back from her. "Da... damn it!" Her wild ki became deadly flames.

"What's happening?!" Neo exclaimed.

"Huh..." Ravage looked over to the group as Wolf held the mutant Deathstalker off.

"Daaaamn it!" Hanako's eyes twitched as veins in her arms and forehead became visible.

"Hanako, what's going on?!" Akiko reached out before being blown back again.

"Arrrrrghhh..." Hanako screamed out, falling to her knees and clutching her head.

"Hey, what is going on?!" Weiss exclaimed from behind a rock.

"Something... is... a-attacking... me!" Hanako tried to hold back tears.

"Where?!" Ruby looked around.

"It... it's in... in... my... head!" Hanako slammed her fists into the ground. "AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!"

"Hanako! Fight it!" Akiko called out. "Fight it! You did it before, you can do it again!"

"Arrrrgggghhhhhh! Arrrrgggghhhh!" Hanako slammed her fists into the ground a 2nd time.

"Hanako, you can win this!" Akiko continued. "You've changed, you're better now! The past is the past!"

"You... you... don't know me...!" Hanako stumbled to her feet, clutching her head again. "Argh! Please... please... help me..."

"You're innocent! You're not Kasairyu anymore! Don't let her be reawakened!" Impa joined in.

"How can you say that? Grrrgghhh... I'm not... innocent... I'm... a failure... I'm guilty of failing..."

"I believe in you, Hanako, we all do!" Seijitsu followed.

"Fight it, Hanako! No one has claim over you!" Akiko begged.

"Arrrrghhh... AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Hanako screamed up to the heavens before lowering her head to the floor.

"Crap..." Ravage muttered.

"Grrrrrrghhhhh..." Hanako's veins continued to throb as her muscle mass increased ever so slightly and her pupils turned a sickly green and her eyes gained green lines around them. "Heh... heheheh..." Her head shot back up as green bio-electricity zapped around her body. "Heheheheheh." Her grin revealed a fang.


	63. Day 6: Full Power Super Battle

"Erm..." Oren's gaze drifted left and right. "What just happened?"

"Arrrggghhhh!" Hanako let out a battle cry as the ground around her was torn up by streams of green bio-electricity bursting out from her body.

"Wait, it's those blasts!" Neo exclaimed, readying his sword.

"When she took the hit for Yang she must have absorbed something from it." Blake followed up.

"Da... damn it..." Yang looked aside in shame.

"Arrrrrrgggghhhhh!" A crater formed around Hanako as her fiery aura flared up.

"Wait, what about Ravage?!" Ruby's eyes widened.

"Immune, trust me." Ravage responded, quickly blasting the Deathstalker to pieces after Wolf sliced off its stinger. Wolf landed beside Ravage immediately afterward.

"This presents a problem." Wolf's visor disconnected.

"No shit." Neo frowned.

"I thought Merlot could only mutate Grimm... If he can take control of..." Weiss trailed off.

"We have to stop him fast." Yang clenched her left fist in front of her face.

"Let's focus on the here and now..." Impa interjected.

"Yes, let's..." Hanako grinned. "How about it?" She looked to Akiko. Akiko narrowed her eyes. "Shall we?"

"Hanako, you're in there somewhere..." Akiko was cut off.

"You'll fight me, fool. Unless of course..." Hanako turned Super. "You'd like some young blood on your hands..." She raised her left hand towards Team RWBY. Akiko instantly transformed, becoming Super Akiko.

"Hanako, please." Akiko stared her possessed friend right in the eye. "You can fight this." A ki blast appeared in Hanako's left palm and Hanako gave a demented, sadistic grin towards Akiko. "ARGH!" Akiko blasted forward, punching Hanako through the cliffside and flying after her, leaving a sonic boom in her wake as she easily broke the sound barrier.

"This is bad, everyone around me!" Ravage called out. "Akiko had better finish this fast, the whole world is in danger with Hanako going full power." He muttered.

* * *

Hanako flew backwards over the ocean as Akiko caught up to her and then kicked her in the side, sending her possessed friend rocketing towards another island. Hanako crashed into the centre of the island but almost immediately jumped back onto her feet as Akiko reappeared a few metres away. A cold wind blew between the two as they stared down.

"This island will do just as fine." Hanako grinned, her left eye twitching.

"Hanako, I really don't want to..."

"You have no choice!" Hanako snapped.

"Hanako, this isn't you! You aren't bloodthirsty like this!" Akiko snapped back. Hanako growled.

'Go back and kill those pathetic students of Ozpin...' Merlot's voice rang through Hanako's head.

"Urrgggghhh..." Hanako dropped to her knees.

'Kill them, kill them all.'

"No, I... I..." Hanako struggled, struggled to resist. "I wish only to fight." She growled, grating her teeth.

'Do as I command.'

"No... I refuse." She shot Akiko a death glare.

'What?!'

"Your business with those girls is meaningless to me, I want only a fight to the death." Hanako pushed herself back up. Akiko readied herself.

'How can you refuse your master?! I demand you do as I say! Arrgh, what's went wrong?!'

"I will not be distracted from my fight anymore." Hanako steadied herself and clenched her fists. "It'll take more then head games to stop me." Her aura flared to life. "You may have invaded my mind and my body, but there's one thing a true warrior always keeps..." The ground started to crack beneath Hanako's feet. "Their PRIIIIIIIDE! ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!" Hanako screamed as her aura doubled in size and her green bio-electricity teared up the ground beneath her, several plateaus in the distance crumbling as the entire island shuck. Akiko narrowed her eyes. Hanako's aura calmed as she lowered her head and looked straight at Akiko.

"I'd better go all out." Akiko frowned. "I'm sorry, Hanako, I'm going to have to beat this out of you. I know you're in there, somewhere."

"Heheheh..." Hanako assumed a fighting stance, her veins throbbing as green bio-electricity zapped around her.

"My full power!" Akiko's aura quickly flared up and she was momentarily engulfed in light, the kunoichi assuming her fighting stance as the light faded.

"Yes! This is our fate, our battle!" Hanako grinned.

* * *

"Can't we do anything?!" Yang exclaimed as she watched from the sky with everybody else upon a floating land mass Ravage kept in the air.

"You girls are all hopelessly outclassed here, and even though her mind is warped: I won't disrespect Hanako's right to a fight with Akiko. This is something Akiko has to do herself." Ravage folded his arms. "Now, you won't be able to keep track of this fight, all of you hold hands and Ruby put your hand on my shoulder: you can see through my eye that way."

"But that's not really Hanako." Blake replied.

"Maybe not, but unless I'm needed, I won't intervene." Ravage responded.

"Me and Impa can't take on Hanako at her full power, we'd just be getting in Akiko's way." Seijitsu sighed.

"Otherwise we would help if Akiko wanted us to." Impa followed up.

"I ain't gettin' up in that... Tidea beats my ass hard enough." Oren was promptly slapped in the back of the head by Tidea. "Jeez... women." Everyone but Ravage, Wolf and Neo looked at him. "Guys?"

"Oh yeah, popcorn." Ravage pulled out popcorn.

"Guys?" Oren repeated himself. "I'd feel safer down there..."

* * *

"Urgh!" Hanako delivered a knee to Akiko's gut, winding her before elbowing her to the ground below. Akiko landed on all fours and dodged out of the way as Hanako came in with a dive-kick, destroying the ground where Akiko had landed. Hanako dashed out of the crater and Akiko narrowly avoided her left hook. Akiko went to knee Hanako but Hanako lifted her right knee in response, the two clashing with Akiko struggling to hold Hanako back.

"I thought you said you were skipping the warm-up?" Hanako grinned.

"I guess I was wrong." Akiko dashed back before rushing forwards again only for Hanako to grab her fists. They repeatedly tried to knee one another before Hanako gained the upper hand with a headbutt, followed by a shoulder tackle. "Gah!" Hanako began to punch Akiko in the gut with both fists in quick succession, taking joy in Akiko's pain as she delivered each blow. Akiko recovered and grabbed Hanako's fists to stop her assault and then kneed Hanako in the chin before kicking her away into the side of a plateau.

"Good... that's more like it... ARGH!" Hanako burst out of the plateau and drifted towards Akiko, their golden auras joining as they stared down in mid-air. "Come on!" The two clashed, exchanging blows.

* * *

"I've never seen Hanako fight with such ferocity, such... malice." Impa watched Akiko and Hanako duke it out with her eyes wide open.

"I have, when she was Kasairyu... in Tokyo, before we met." Seijitsu spoke with great sadness. "She tore that android woman apart, even though she was defenceless. She, she just blew her to pieces despite the android being unable to fight back. I never thought she'd fight like that again."

* * *

"Grrgh..." Hanako blocked Akiko's punches one after the other before Akiko delivered a powerful kick to Hanako's stomach, making her cough out blood. Hanako teleported and reappeared behind Akiko. "Heheh." Akiko turned around just in time to see Hanako's hands in front of her chest. Hanako immediately blasted her away, sending Akiko crashing further into the plateau then she had. Hanako stared at the hole before widening her eyes as a yellow ki beam came rushing out: a one-handed blast attack from Akiko. Hanako retaliated with the same attack: the two beams clashing inbetween the women. Slowly but surely, Akiko pushed forward, rising out of the hole whilst struggling in the beam lock with Hanako. "You're not winning this one!" Hanako used both her hands to push down. Akiko then used both hands to push upwards. The two flew closer and closer as the clash between them worsened. The two beams exploded and blew both Akiko and Hanako back.

* * *

"That energy is intense." Impa braced herself. "And this is them containing it..."

"Significant harm to the planet would have occured had Akiko not successfully fended that attack off." Wolf spoke up. Team RWBY stared with growing concern at the robot hound. "Currently, I estimate a 37% chance of..."

"Don't, I don't wanna know." Impa cut Wolf off. Wolf nodded.

* * *

"Urrrrghhh..." Akiko shuck her head as she held onto the edge of a cliff, a sparkling lake below her. "Don't know why I'm surprised, she trains nearly every day." Akiko was pulled up by her wrist, Hanako raising her up to look her in the eye. "Hanako... I know you're giving me signals you're still there, thank you..."

"Heheh." Hanako spun around and threw Akiko into the side of a higher plateau, Akiko becoming stuck. Hanako raised her right hand and fired off a series of ring shaped blasts: each one hitting Akiko and wrapping around her wrists, ankles and neck, keeping her in place in the wall. Hanako reappeared in front of Akiko. "What's the problem? Not winning as easily as you thought you would?"

"I never said it would be easy." Akiko weakly smiled.

"Humph, you won't be winning at all." Hanako slapped Akiko around the face.

"Grrgh..."

"What, clown?!" Hanako snapped. "Are you angry?! Are you feeling humiliated?! Is that it?!" She kneed Akiko in the gut, then rubbed her knee against Akiko's stomach as Akiko spat out blood. "You! Don't! Know! What! Humiliation! Is!" With each word she delivered a left hook to Akiko's face. She then unleashed a frantic flurry of punches and kicks upon the trapped Akiko. "I shall teach you its bitter taste." Hanako stopped. "Just as you've taught me. Me, a warrior elite." She grabbed Akiko by her hair. "Others once trembled at my name, but you never... did you, Akiko? Look at me!" She forced Akiko to look her in the eye. "By your hands, your common hands, I was defeated in battle. My honor, my pride: the foundations upon which I had been taught to stand, crumbling because of you. It was at your hands that I suffered my first great humiliation in battle."

"Hanako... you know... I didn't want..."

"Silence!" Hanako headbutted Akiko. "Toppled by low level trash. Imagine my shame when it was you, you who killed Orochi and avenged my clan... and not just that, you were the first to receive Ryujin's blessing, the one thing every non-dragonblood shinobi strives for. I was but a spectator to the birth of a legend! And this! This form I find myself in, it was a hand-out from you! I could only achieve this legendary power from you!" Hanako let go of Akiko. "It is time to take back what is mine! I will not live my life as your 2nd!"

"Hanako... you've never..." Akiko groaned.

"Every breath you take is an insult to my honor! By my hands, you will be cut down! The way you have cut down my pride!" Hanako reached for her katana.

"Arrrrgggghhhh..." Akiko's aura reappeared around her.

"What...?" Hanako's eyes widened.

"ARRRRGGGGHHHH!" Akiko burst free, destroying the energy rings around her neck and ankles and then smacked Hanako with the chunks of rock attached to her right and left arms respectively. Akiko rushed forward and rapidly punched Hanako in the stomach before uppercutting her away: sending her flying into a cave. Akiko blasted off after her.

* * *

"She doesn't vent much does she?" Neo muttered.

"Oh she does but this, this can't be what she truly thinks." Impa sighed.

"I know it isn't." Seijitsu clenched her fists. "Hanako has risked her life for all of us in the past, this isn't the real her. But Akiko will get to the real Hanako Hoshimoto!" Seijitsu remained resolute. "I know it!" Wolf sat besides Seijitsu, nudging his head against her left leg gently. Ravage smiled.

* * *

Akiko walked through the cave, coming to a halt as her gaze drifted around the room. Nothing. Akiko narrowed her eyes. A ki blast almost hit Akiko in the back but she effortlessly spun around and kicked it away. Hanako appeared behind Akiko and got her in a full nelson.

"Here I am!"

"Gah!" Akiko's eyes widened as Hanako flew up with her, intending to impale her on a stalagmite hanging from the cave ceiling. Akiko managed to force Hanako to a stop just in time and then used her aura to blast Hanako off of her. Akiko spun around to face Hanako as Hanako recovered. "Hadō..." Akiko cupped her hands at her side and began charging her attack, blue ki gathering inbetween her palms.

"Gōka..." Hanako held her arms out to her sides before thrusting both arms forward and turning her open palms 90 degrees in opposite directions. A ball of yellow ki appeared inbetween her palms.

"Burasutā!" Akiko thrusted her arms forward.

"Bakufū!" Hanako screamed and fired off her attack in union with Akiko. The plateau housing the cave was completely obliterated and as the rubble rose up into the sky with a huge beam of light, Akiko and Hanako stared down as they drifted up out of the destruction. Nothing but a huge crater remained below them as the light fated and rubble disintegrated around them. Akiko and Hanako flew straight at one another.

* * *

"I've never seen them go at it like this." Seijitsu muttered. "I hope Akiko can keep it up."

"She's still holding back." Tidea sighed.

"But their power is almost even." Neo noted.

"It's not a matter of power." Tidea replied. "She just really doesn't want to fight her like this."

"Who... who's more powerful?" Ruby inquired.

"Hanako... Merlot's special little mutation juice has given her a boost. If Akiko doesn't stop pulling her punches, I'll have to step in sooner then I want to. I want to see if Akiko can get through to her first, Merlot's obviously not had time to refine that stuff for humans: there's a chance the mutation's effects can be cancelled out with willpower. A chance." Ravage informed.

* * *

Hanako blocked a kick from Akiko then went in with a right hook only for Akiko to block that attack with her left knee, Akiko striking back with her own right hook and hitting Hanako across the face with her attack. Hanako immediately recovered and kneed Akiko in the face and the two engaged in a rapid exchange of blows before they flew back from each other.

"So, you've still got some fight left in you." Hanako smirked.

"I could say the same about you, Hanako, you've learned a few new tricks." Akiko smirked back. Hanako frowned. She disappeared from sight and then reappeared behind Akiko to try and kick her in the side of the head but Akiko elbow dropped Hanako in her waist and the two were sent falling to the ground below. Hanako teleported away as Akiko landed on her feet and Hanako reappeared a few feet away and sent forth an uncharged Gōka Bakufū. Akiko leapt into the air, letting the blast destroy the plateau behind her before trying to dive-kick Hanako as the smoke and dust overtook them. Akiko flew out of the cloud just a moment after with Hanako giving chase, firing off a barrage of energy blasts at Akiko. Akiko drew her wakizashis from their scabbards and cut through each blast that Hanako sent her way, one after the other, before the last one was destroyed and she resheathed her blades. Hanako reappeared above her and got Akiko in a chokehold.

"What's a matter, too much?!" Hanako divebombed into the ground with Akiko, creating a huge crater upon impact. As the dust settled, Akiko stumbled back onto her feet only to be greeted by Hanako ramming into her face with her head. Akiko went tumbling along the ground as Hanako landed back on her feet. Hanako fired off another flurry of ki blasts after Akiko. "Die!"

"As I was saying, you've learned a few new tricks..." Akiko's voice from behind Hanako caught the deranged ninja off guard.

"Huh?" Hanako looked behind her. She'd been blasting away at an afterimage.

"But then so have I." Akiko was stood there with her arms folded. Hanako charged Akiko but Akiko dodged her attack and blasted her back with a trio of ki blasts. Hanako backflipped and smacked aside the last blast before flying straight back at Akiko and elbowing her in the face. Akiko struck back with a left hook followed by an uppercut and so the two engaged in a rapid pummel duel as they flew higher and higher into the sky before Hanako dashed back and fired a ki blast at Akiko who caught it and then kicked it into the atmosphere, flying after Hanako immediately afterwards.

* * *

"Damn, they just keep going." Neo put his hands on his hips.

"I can't believe we can't do anything." Yang looked at her left hand's open palm before clenching her hand into a fist and then lowering her arm.

"Humph, Akiko is starting to have fun." Ravage observed.

"What?!" Team RWBY exclaimed.

"Hanako has been giving her particular signals throughout this fight to say she can be reached, subconsciously she's playing Akiko's love for battle and something else. It's only a matter of getting her out of this aggressive, warped mental state." Ravage explained, eating more popcorn. "In a way, this fight is choreographed... and Akiko is loving it. Because of course she would."

* * *

Akiko and Hanako continued to throw punches and kicks at one another as they fought over a lake before Akiko hit Hanako down into the water with both fists joined together: the impact parting the water and Hanako flying through the parting with Akiko firing a series of ki blasts after her. Hanako made a quick 180 degree turn and then flew straight up into the air, letting Akiko's ki blasts destroy several trees in the distance.

"Gōka..." Hanako held her side before thrusting both arms forward and turning her open palms 90 degrees in opposite directions. A ball of yellow ki appeared inbetween her palms. "Bakufū!" Hanako fired off her attack at Akiko. Akiko only had time to put her arms out and catch the attack with her hands: the beam forcing her down into the water. The beam exploded and the lake was destroyed. Akiko reappeared in the air, a few feet in front of Hanako. "You've become quite the escape artist." Hanako commented.

"Maybe you just need some better finishing moves." Akiko retorted.

"I doubt that." Hanako growled. She flew straight down to the ground, Akiko following in hot pursuit: both landing and facing one another again. They both took a moment to catch their breath.

"I'm amazed, Hanako, these past few years I've been through my most intense training yet, and we're still completely even." Akiko spoke up. "I guess this whole time you've been pushing yourself just as hard."

"That may be true, I've pushed myself to the edge of my limits and beyond. But you've been born with a natural talent far beyond my own, no amount of training can close the gap between us! I realise that now..." Hanako replied. Akiko looked genuinely sad at Hanako's words. Did she really doubt herself that much? "It was made painfully obvious to me when you first transformed and destroyed Orochi." Hanako continued. "Imagine my shock, to see the undeniable proof that no matter how hard I tried, I'd never be able to catch you. A warrior elite forever living in the shadow of a low-level clown!" Akiko frowned. "But now, with this new power... I might be able to beat you. The difference in our power might disappear!"

"You... you fool!" Akiko's eyes widened.

"I'm quite pleased with the results." Hanako grinned. "Even if they do come at a price. I'd say the end more than justifies the means!"

"Hanako, I don't understand. You've never allowed anyone to help you before in your life, why start now? Why this?" Akiko questioned.

"Because I wanted to reawaken the evil in my heart. I wanted to return to the way I was before!" Hanako's aura flared to life. Akiko braced herself. "I was the perfect warrior, cold and ruthless! I lived by my strength alone! Uninhibited by foolish emotion!" Hanako exclaimed. Akiko narrowed her eyes. "But slowly, over the years, I became like you. My quest for greatness giving way to this life of mediocrity." Hanako's aura calmed a little. "I awoke one day to find that I had settled down, formed a new clan... formed... friends... I had even grown quite fond of them."

"Hanako, you care, I know..." Akiko muttered.

"Would you believe, I almost started to think this life was nice..." Hanako went on. She looked back to Akiko. "Do you understand now, Koizumi? That's why I needed this." Green bio-electricity continued to zap around Hanako's body. "To set me free. By releasing the evil in my heart, the doctor has freed me of petty attachments. Humph, and I'd have to say it feels pretty good."

"Do you really believe what you're saying?" Akiko stared Hanako down.

"Arrrrggghhhh!" Hanako powered up. "Grrrghhh..."

"Humph." Akiko powered up as well.

* * *

"Just as I thought." Ravage folded his arms. "The unrefined effects of Merlot's serum is amplifying all of the negativity in Hanako and also trying to seal away her true self."

"What do you intend to do?" Impa asked.

"Wipe it from her body, but first, Akiko has to finish this." Ravage responded. "Slowly but surely, she's getting through."

* * *

"Arrgh!" Hanako and Akiko clashed, butting heads together repeatedly as their arms were pushed against each other.

"Grrrghhhh..." Akiko and Hanako headbutted one another again, their golden auras clashing with them. Their auras flared up and Hanako went in with a kick which Akiko blocked with her left arm. Hanako dodged Akiko's lunge and tried to hit her with a handstand double kick, but Akiko narrowly managed to avoid it and kneed Hanako in the stomach. Hanako flipped forward and Akiko ran after her. Hanako caught herself and used a low-kick to knock Akiko off her feet but Akiko saved herself in time and backflipped as Hanako tried to land a left hook. Akiko flipped forwards and smacked Hanako in the head with both fists and then tried to kick Hanako in the chin but Hanako grabbed her foot and slammed her into the ground. Akiko managed to dodge to the side just as Hanako's right fist came down to try and hit her face. Akiko then managed to duck under another kick from Hanako at the last second and Akiko tripped Hanako up with a low-kick: both now falling to the ground whilst smirking back at each other.

'Her moves are incredible.' Akiko thought to herself.

'Finally, I'm going to rip her apart.' Hanako thought to herself. The two recovered and flew at one another, clashing in mid-air with their knees before throwing a quick series of punches at each other which ended with them both backflipping away. Hanako fired some ki blasts at Akiko as Akiko sprinted towards her, but Akiko either dodged around them or batted them away whilst drawing closer. Out of the smoke, Akiko came running straight for Hanako. Hanako leapt up into the air and fired a charged ki blast down at Akiko. Akiko looked up in time to see the blast rushing at her.

"Heheheheh..." Hanako chuckled as the blast hit.

* * *

"This fight just keeps ramping up." Neo shuck his head. "Hope I get a fight this good some time."

"Any time." Ravage smirked.

* * *

Akiko leapt backwards out of the smoke as Hanako landed down in front of her. Akiko's gi had been torn up on the left side, leaving only her right shoulder and side covered: revealing the wrappings covering her chest. Akiko took a few deep breaths and wiped the blood from her lip. Hanako was tiring as well, the twisted shinobi taking a breather herself. Her clothing had received several tears and scuffs as well over the course of the fight.

"Grrrrr... argh!" Hanako flew at Akiko.

"Hanako, wait!" Akiko begged as she held out her right arm towards Hanako. Hanako actually relented, stopping just before Akiko. "You know Merlot is just using you to cover his escape. He's playing you and you can't even see it." Hanako looked aside. "But, but not just that: you can feel that strange energy as well, right?" Akiko continued. Hanako remained silent.

"Heheheheheheh..." She began to laugh. "Good, a cool-down fight."

"Hanako, listen to yourself!" Akiko snapped.

"It's just as I knew it would be, everything Merlot has is a weakling compared to us. We need not concern ourselves with him." Hanako retorted.

"You're... right, but... I... I know you know you're being played, you're just too proud to admit it."

"Enough! No more stalling! Our fight isn't finished yet!" Hanako looked back to Akiko.

* * *

"Not there yet..." Blake sighed.

"We should be helping." Yang muttered.

"I know you feel bad, Yang, but this isn't your fault." Ruby looked back to her big sister.

"Ruby's right, you'd all be torn apart anyway: Hanako isn't thinking straight." Ravage followed up.

* * *

"Hah!" Hanako punched the ground apart where Akiko had just stood as Akiko leapt back. "Grrrgh." Hanako flew after Akiko. Akiko managed to catch both of Hanako's fists, holding her off.

"We don't have any time for this, Hanako. This is letting Merlot get away, it's because of us!" Akiko tried to reason with Hanako again.

"He is nothing but a sideshow." Hanako growled. "You are my only concern!"

"To us, but what about those girls, Hanako?!" Akiko snapped back. "You took that blast for one of them, you're like this because you wanted to protect them!"

"Shut up!" Hanako kneed Akiko in her stomach. "Shut up!" She elbowed Akiko in the face. "Remember, I've sold my soul for power!" Akiko blocked Hanako's follow-up knee. "I keep no loyalties!" Akiko continued to dodge and block every attack Hanako threw at her. "I have a warrior's heart that depends on strength alone! THEY'RE NOTHING TO ME!" Akiko caught Hanako's punch and stared her down.

"LIER! You didn't know this would happen!" Akiko rebutted Hanako's words. "The real Hanako puts the safety of others first, that's why you took that blast! You care for them, like you care for Impa, Seijitsu and even me. Like you care for your clan!" Akiko pulled Hanako in. "So I don't buy it!" She delivered a powerful right hook to Hanako's face, busting her lip. Hanako crashed down into the ground. Hanako slowly pushed herself up as blood ran from her mouth, Akiko standing over her and looking down: looking her straight in the eye. "Talk all you want, Hanako, but you'd better convince yourself of it first." Hanako stood back up and spat out the blood in her mouth before wiping her lip.

"Humph..." Hanako continued to stare Akiko down. "You're right." Akiko smiled. "Let's go get that bastard and make him pay." Akiko nodded.

"Hold up, Ravage gave me some Senzus." Akiko reached inbetween her martial arts belt and gi.

"Huh, some? Oh, of course. We should be at full strength for this." Hanako grinned. Akiko turned her back to Hanako as she rummaged around between her belt and gi. Akiko looked up to Ravage and winked. Hanako clasped her hands together and went to hit Akiko in the back of the head only for her to suddenly lose control of her body and fall to the floor. Ravage stood behind the unconscious Hanako who had reverted to her base form due to the lack of consciousness. He had moved with great speed to appear behind her and karate chop her in the neck.

"Karate chop action." Ravage chuckled.

"Thanks, you really saved my bacon. I didn't want a full reenactment." Akiko turned back around to face Ravage and smiled. "She's in there all right, her mind is just scrambled."

"Then I can fix this without any effort." Ravage knelt down beside Hanako. He put his left hand on her back. "At least I won't have to taste that stuff this time." His hand began to glow as he extracted the serum from Hanako, cleansing her body of its corruption. The green bio-electricity around her disappeared, her muscle mass decreased and her veins stopped throbbing and bulging out and finally the green lines around her eyes faded away. "Now it's your turn." Ravage stood back up.

"Heh, shame we had to use one of these so early on." Akiko mused as she knelt down and put the green bean in her hand into Hanako's mouth and then gently made her eat it.

"I'll get more." Ravage folded his arms and smiled. "Hold on, gotta return to that floating rock before the rune holding it up fades." Ravage leapt up into the sky.

"Urrrrrghhh..." Akiko looked back down at Hanako. "A... Akiko...?"

"Still wanna punch my lights out?" Akiko smiled. Hanako smiled back.

"I always wanna punch your lights out." She chuckled. Akiko laughed.

"Yeah, love you too buddy."

"Don't make this awkward. Also, stop cradling me." Hanako bluntly replied. Akiko laughed again. Hanako rolled out of Akiko's arms and sat up.

"She's back!" Akiko shouted up to the floating landmass. Everyone cheered.

"I need a drink. Something heavy." Hanako sighed. "Also, we're killing him now. No bringing him in."

"Fine by me, you can have the honors." Akiko stood up. "If you get to him first." Hanako frowned. "Hey, you've frowned enough today."

"I can't believe I was humiliated like that..." Hanako shuck her head.

"Hey, you saved a little girl from having to fight her big sister, or worse us having to do it. You did good Hanako, you did good." Akiko patted Hanako on the back. Hanako smiled a little. "Also thank you."

"I suppose something good has to come from when you forced me to watch that show." Hanako smirked. Akiko and Hanako burst out into laughter.


	64. Night 6 - Day 7: Master & Student

"Well, there's your clothes fixed up, Akiko." Ravage announced after leaving Akiko's folded up gi and pants outside the bathroom door of the cabin, next to her gauntlets and foot guards.

"Thanks, Ravage." Akiko called out from inside.

"Enjoy your bath." Ravage turned and walked off.

"Will do." Akiko responded, relaxing back and closing her eyes with a smile in her bubblebath, her red headband on the side.

"Right, well Tidea and Oren should be back with dinner soon." Ravage spoke up as he walked into the living room. "Hanako still outside?" He sat down in his arm chair and looked over to Impa and Seijitsu, Wolf was curled up next to Seijitsu's feet in rest mode and Neo was channel surfing on the 60 inch tv.

"Yeah, she's just getting some air." Seijitsu answered.

"Understandable." Ravage nodded. "Was a rough day."

"You bet." Impa looked at the floor and shuck her head. "I know exactly what's going through her mind." Impa sighed.

"We all do. But Hanako is strong." Ravage nodded back.

"I only hope she realises that herself." Impa looked over to Ravage.

* * *

'Bastards! How dare you! That is the Grand Master!'

'Hanako, no!'

'You stay away from my father!' Hanako closed her eyes and tried to hold back her pained expression as the memory of her first death ran through her head.

'Foolish woman. Kill her like the rest.'

'No!'

'Faaatheeeerrr!'

'R...run...' Hanako grated her teeth.

'His soul is a mighty one indeed. A fitting sacrifice...'

'FATHER!'

'What?! That power...?!'

'Arrrghhhh!' Hanako unfolded her arms and clenched her fists, her eyes remaining closed.

'This one's soul has even greater willpower, such... untapped potential.' Hanako remembered being impaled by several spears, blood running from her mouth and her weapon out of reach as her village burned around her. 'You would be put to greater use... as my right hand. This one's soul is mine. End her.'

'AHHHHHH!' Hanako opened her eyes and looked up to the night sky. She remained silent and unmoving. Shd had expected tears but they did not come. Good. She could not be weak again, she could not dishonor the fallen again.

"Strength is all that matters in this life. Everything else, is a delusion for the weak." Hanako muttered. "The weak, they must be protected until they become the strong." She clenched her fists harder. "No more failures. No more. I cannot let those who depend upon me down again." She looked down as she held up her hands and unclenched her fists. Hanako felt the cold wind blow through her hair. "There's only one certainty in life: a strong warrior stands above and conquers all." She looked forward and smiled. "I promise you, mother, father. I won't show weakness again." Hanako lowered her arms again. "I will get stronger, for everyone's sake. Not just for mine. I promise." Hanako looked aside, still smiling. "I will surpass you Akiko, don't you worry about my doubt any more. I see clearly again. I am one of Ryujin's chosen, I am a protector of Earth. I am Hanako Hoshimoto." Her spirit had fully returned. "And I am a warrior." Hanako turned Super and grinned. "And this world too is under my protection for as long as I am here." Hanako turned and started walking back up to the cabin.

* * *

"Humph." Ravage smiled as he rested in his chair. "She's her old self again, if not a little better." Seijitsu and Impa looked at one another and smiled. "Once again, she's going to fight to protect others, even if she won't admit it to our faces." Ravage chuckled.

"Hanako and her pride. I can respect that." Impa sat back. "Her pride makes her will ultimately unbreakable. Even in the darkest of times." The front door opened.

* * *

"I guess this is the place." Ruby commented as they stood at the bottom of the hill upon which Ravage had placed his cabin. It was the early morning now and the birds were chirping in the trees as the sun rose up past the horizon. "Looks cozy." Ruby smiled.

"Indeed." Hanako landed behind team RWBY.

"Huh?" Weiss and everybody else turned around. Hanako stood there with her arms folded. She smiled. "Nice to see you up and about." Weiss let out a small smile. Hanako nodded.

"Thanks, little lady." Hanako took a half bow.

"I'm glad you've recovered." Blake followed up.

"Don't worry yourselves about it." Hanako responded. "I've had worse. You don't let one defeat get you down, you get back up and stand taller. I'd like to talk your friend, Yang."

"Huh?" Yang's eyes widened.

"Ravage and everyone else is inside, just knock." Hanako continued.

"Have fun, Yang." Ruby patted Yang's back and smiled. Ruby, Weiss and Blake turned and continued on up towards the cabin.

"Uhhh, I'm..." Yang was immediately cut off by Hanako nodding towards the forest.

"Follow me, I wish to talk in private." Hanako turned around. She began walking and Yang made sure to follow her as Ruby knocked on the door to the cabin atop the hill. The door opened, Oren stood on the other side.

"Yo." Oren smiled.

"Yo." Ruby chuckled.

"Hey, aren't there four of you? Where's your blonde friend?" Oren scratched his head.

"Oh Hanako wanted to talk with her." Ruby informed. Akiko, who was sat on the couch eating her breakfast, smiled.

* * *

Hanako and Yang walked through the forest, neither saying a word. Yang was still behind Hanako as they walked along. The forest was still mostly dark at the time, the sun not yet high enough for its light to break through all of the gaps in the treetops. Hanako glanced over her left shoulder as they continued along the path.

"Why did you choose the life of a warrior?" Hanako inquired.

"Uhh, I..." Yang was caught off guard by the question. "I've always been a thrill seeker, I thought that becoming a huntress would provide me with a life of adventure, adrenaline and action. But recently I've realised there's more to it then that, that I have responsibilities to consider, standards to live up to... and I know that I can't be just be in it for myself anymore. Why, why did you?"

"I didn't." Hanako's answer was short but revealing.

"I..." Yang didn't know how to respond to that.

"From the day of my birth my life was already determined for me. I was born into an elite warrior family, my father the Grand Master of my clan and leader of my village. When you're born with elite blood, you don't have the freedom of a low class." Hanako explained. "One of many reasons I respect Akiko and yet also find her so perplexing." She added. Yang raised a brow. "Akiko is a low class by birth, a common girl from a common family in one of the lower ranking shinobi clans. Akiko could've been anything, a farmer, cook, cleaner, maybe even a shop owner: but without even considering that, she chose to become a full-fledged shinobi. Not uncommon, many low-class do become full ninjas anyway and they take up the common jobs. But Akiko wanted to go beyond common assassinations and spy-work, she wanted to become a demon hunter. A true warrior. Any low class aspiring for that is an over-confident, naive fool..." Hanako stopped. She turned around to look Yang in the face. "Or so I thought. I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant, it is what you do with the gift of life that matters. Akiko is a low class warrior, but even a low class can surpass an elite: Ryujin after all chose her to be humanity's savior from his brother Orochi."

"I see..." Yang took all of that in. Hanako remained silence for a second before opening her mouth again to speak.

"I know you have been afraid before, but you don't have to be anymore." Hanako put her right hand on Yang's left shoulder. Yang's eyes widened. "No more emptiness and fear inside." Hanako went Super, her hair turning golden as he bangs spiked upwards and her eyes turned blood red. "One day, you might have a power like this." Hanako let go of Yang. "And I'd like to help you on that path."

"You want to help me...?" Yang questioned.

"Yang Xiao Long." Hanako spoke her full name. "Would you like to be I, Hanako-sama's student?" Hanako reverted to her base form.

"Student? As in you'd be my master?" Yang inquired. Hanako nodded.

"I see in you great untapped potential. But, I also see that in your friends and sister. The reason I have chosen you, Yang, is because I see in you the youthful fire I have lost. I want to help make you a great and proud warrior. You have spirit, spirit I hope any child I might one day have would possess." The wind blew through Hanako's jet black hair as she took her sheathed katana off her back and held it out sideways towards Yang. Hanako smiled at Yang as Yang looked the sheathed blade over before looking the kunoichi in the eye again. "The strong stand above and conquer all hardships. Do you wish to become stronger? Because I wish to make you stronger. Simply take hold of this weapon with me if you accept my offer." Hanako was still smiling as a raven took flight from one of the trees behind her. Yang smiled back and took hold of the scabbard with Hanako.

"Sounds great." Yang winked and gave a thumbs up. She let go of the scabbard and Hanako put her sheathed katana back on her back.

"Then let me see you fight again." Hanako smirked just as a pack of beowolves rushed out of the bushes. Hanako and Yang quickly got into battle stances, side by side with battle hungry grins on their faces. "The strong stand and the weak fall. Make these beasts crash down."

"Boo-yeah!" Yang and Hanako dashed forward, still side by side, Yang pulling back her right arm and Hanako pulling back her left as they flew towards the Grimm.


	65. Day 7: Not Alone for the Final Battle

"So the professor wants you girls tagging along with us. Fine by me, besides you beat him before, hell, it was just 2 weeks ago in fact." Ravage smiled, sitting back in his chair, left leg over his right. "The more the merrier, besides you can all fight well. Well, when Hanako and Yang get back, guess we can head out to search the nearby ruins for clues... It's where I first stumbled upon Merlot I guess you could say."

"Righto." Ruby nodded.

"In the meantime, you 3 hungry?" Ravage inquired.

"We had breakfast about an hour ago, but thank you." Weiss informed.

"Fair enough." Ravage nodded.

"So, you got any fun stories?" Oren spoke up from the kitchen as he got a coke from the fridge.

"We've had a few adventures so far." Ruby smiled.

"Neat, anything big? Saved the world yet?" Oren opened the can in his hand.

"Heheh, I don't think we'll ever be doing anything that big, though it would be incredible awesome." Ruby laughed, rubbing the back of her head. Ravage chuckled.

"You'll get your turn." Neo spoke up. "There's always one dirtbag or another out there."

"Or some great terror." Akiko followed up. "Probably several." She shrugged.

"You've all saved your own worlds, huh?" Blake muttered.

"Twice." Akiko smiled. "2nd time Hanako helped. It was her win really. We keep training because once you do that stuff twice, yeah, you're in it for the long run. Plus getting stronger is fun." She added.

"Me and Oren couldn't have done it without Ravage though." Tidea commented.

"I just thought I'd help because it was my mom's world, plus it was fun. For the most part." Ravage shrugged. "Anyway, you're selling yourselves short. It was a group effort." Tidea and Oren nodded.

* * *

Ravage landed upon a floating land mass above the exposed core of the known as Gaia. Embers drifted up past the kitsune as the stars of night sky shined down upon him. His jacket, fur and bandanna flowed in the wind as he narrowed his right eye. A gargantuan, snake-like creature, the size of a kingdom, had risen up from the core, out of the magma: free from its prison, shackled no more by the power of the Gaia Gems as Ravage had gathered them from their temples where their power was harnessed to keep the great monstrosity before the demon at bay. The beast let out a roar that shuck the entire world, and then the solar system. This dark creature had a body as black as the night sky above, with glowing purple veins all over and a trio of blood red pupiless eyes on its head, razor sharp and long claws upon each of its four hands with its very spine jutting out of the creature's back. Bone white, jagged horns protruded from its head and elbows with a beard of spikes around its face, its brows extending out into horns as well. As the creature roared it revealed its two whole sets of needle-like teeth. A smoke-like aura engulfed its twisted form as its roar came to an end and from inside the veil of darkness the glow of its crimson eyes pierced out. One by one glowing purple tentacles burst from its' back, spraying its violet blood everywhere, and one by one each tentacle burrowed into Gaia's molten core: the beast had began to leech off of the planet's energy, taking Gaia's very energy to double its power and sustain itself. Ravage clenched his fists as a torrent of blood red energy twirled around his body as he gained 6 more tails. The violent aura around Ravage faded and the kitsune stared the beast down as it turned its gaze towards him: sensing his dramatically increased power. This was Ravage's 9-tailed state, a state that should have given him his full natural power, outside of his Devil Burst form, but in the remnant of his mother's universe the power-up had barely put him above the powered up monstrosity before him, as this dimension had forbid him access to his true unnatural power and he was already in a tired state from previous battles. For once he was a reality's mercy.

"Finally..." Ravage smirked. "A fight that'll make me truly try, outside of sparring with mom." The world-eater stared Ravage down. His energy was familiar to the monster. "Humph, then I'd better get serious! Argh!" Ravage blasted off, leaving behind a trail of fire as he flew at the abomination before him. The beast roared and out from its mouth shot a purple energy beam that hit Ravage head-on. Ravage struggled against the blast for a moment but was ultimately sent flying back. Ravage crashed through floating landmass after floating landmass before managing to recover and land on one of the chunks of earth. His jacket had been completely destroyed, his shorts and shoes scuffed and his shirt receiving several small tears here and there. Blood ran down his lip as he struggled back onto his feet. "So, that's your full power." Ravage wiped the blood from his lip. "Then taste mine!" Ravage shot out two sparking crimson energy beams from his palms but to his dismay the world-eater spawned a purple energy barrier around itself that blocked Ravage's attack completely. "What...?" Ravage's right eye widened as the smoke cleared and the monstrosity's energy barrier faded. "But..." Ravage was blasted with another full power mouth beam and sent flying into the horizon. The beast let out a victorious roar as Ravage flew further and further away. "If, if only I had my real power..." Ravage coughed up blood as he crashed down on the edge of Gaia, in the middle of the wilderness: his body broken by just 2 attacks and slowly mending itself. "I, I... I'm not giving up." His right eye's pupil shined intensely as he pushed himself back up. "You can break my body as many times as you want, but I'll just heal back up and keep kicking your ass in return, because my mother's happiness depends upon your destruction. This is her home, her world, and I won't let you destroy it!"

'Ravage, thank you.' His grandfather spoke inside his head. 'I'll lend you my full power, even if it's a meaningless gesture at this point.'

"We'll beat this thing together." Ravage cracked his knuckles.

'Ravage...' Another voice rung through his head. It was young, and soft. Innocent and pure.

"Huh, Nadia...?" Ravage muttered.

'We're on our way.'

"No, this thing is mine and mine alone. You lot can't fight this." Ravage snapped.

'I have a plan, and besides we're not alone. The empire is with us.' Nadia explained.

"After I killed their emperor and wrecked half of their capitol city?" Ravage's raised his right brow.

'They know the threat this monster represents. We have every remaining empirical ship on our side.' Nadia continued.

"Then they're as dumb as ever and going to get you, Tidea, Oren and Sid killed!" Ravage's anger flared. "Tell them to turn back! At least get Sid to fly you guys away!"

'Ravage, our entire world is at stake, we either die fighting or die cowering in fear, let us help.' Nadia retorted.

"I can win this!" Ravage snapped back. "No one else has to throw their life away!"

'Ravage, you may be the most powerful guy in existence, but even you can't do this alone. I saw you try to fight that thing in my mind. You need help, drop your pride and realise that!'

"This isn't about pride at all! You guys... you guys are my only friends... I, I can't lose you all when I've just met you." Ravage bowed his head.

'Real friends stick together... To the end.' Nadia comforted the kitsune. Ravage heard the distant sound of the empirical fleet, turning around to see thousands of airships, big and small, coming over the horizon. 'And if this is the end, then you and everyone else have been the best friends I could ever ask for. Return to Sid's airship, I have to tell you, Oren and Tidea my plan.' Ravage flew off into the sky immediately.


End file.
